[CAUT] Kawai GE3 mystery buzz solved

[Michael Magness]

On Wed, Feb 25, 2009 at 9:21 PM, Susan Kline <skline at peak.org> wrote:

> Richard --
>
> I've got one of these waiting for my next trip to Linfield
> College, which should take place in March. Thanks to
> Don Mannino's post to me about the hidden button, written
> a couple of months ago, I feel sure that I'll finally fix it.
>
> I've been after this buzz for years, from way back
> when it was a little tiny baby noise, shy and
> intermittent. Coming back after a few years
> away, it had grown to monstrous proportions, affecting
> almost the whole piano. A couple of months ago, alone
> in the building over a break, I tried everything I
> could think of! I got it to stop for a couple of
> minutes by some kind of fiddling near the lid
> prop mounts, went back to tuning, it started in
> just one bass note, then a few minutes later it
> was all over the piano again.
>
> This little Kawai grand (which used to live in a tired
> single-wide trailer practice area, but on the shady
> side) even has little half moons in the board through
> the plate holes, where I was rapping hard to try to
> figure out where it came from. When my knuckles didn't
> give me any results, I sort of lost my temper and
> used my fingernails.
>
> It sounded like it was coming
>> from the capo bar, really, or on top of the soundboard. Kind of an
>> eyeopener.
>>
>
> I narrowed it down to the lid prop area, which is,
> after all, within a few inches of the stealth
> soundboard button. I found that the only thing I
> could do to change it was to press the long stick
> hard toward the back of the piano, with the lid
> down. Then the sound changed, but came back when I let
> go. That night I took the whole stick assembly apart!
> Worked on the bushings, tightened up the brass rod
> going through it all, finally took the whole
> stick assembly out of the piano, while holding the
> lid up with my shoulder. Then, with it out in my hand,
> expecting to find the buzz totally departed, I played
> some notes -- and it was just the same as ever! Getting
> the sticks back in was really cute, while holding
> up the lid at the same time.
>
> When I read your long, loooooooong list of things
> you'd tried, I felt a real sense of recognition!
> And I also imagined that it was Don's
> mystery button, hidden away up there. Glad he told
> you about it.
>
> Susan Kline
> OSU, Linfield College, Newport Arts Center
>
>
>
>
Congrats on the solution Richard!

By the by who is Viola?
(grin)
Mike

-- 
I intend to live forever. So far, so good.
Steven Wright


Michael Magness
Magness Piano Service
608-786-4404
www.IFixPianos.com
email mike at ifixpianos.com
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