Help on a buzzing sound

Jim_Harvey@yca.ccmail.compuserve.com Jim_Harvey@yca.ccmail.compuserve.com
Sun, 12 Nov 1995 17:25:22 -0500 (EST)


     Richard (and Andy),

     I can sympathize with your situation, since I have a similar one
     involving a Wurlitzer console of approximately the same vintage.

     As yet, my diagnostics are incomplete, due to circumstances, but I'll
     share my findings to date.

     I had already checked and dismissed numerous items, including some of
     those mentioned in your post. It was time for me to go behind the
     piano, and this is where I had to stop. At the time, I was recovering
     from a knee injury, and I got a quick reminder that I was still
     recovering when I attempted to move the piano away from the wall!

     I was able to see that there was no foreign matter collected at the
     bottom rear of the board. I was *not* able to check for glue integrity
     around the soundboard perimeter, or bridge and/or button integrity.

     The perimeter check is important. Sometimes the bond between
     soundboard and liner is okay, but glue 'whiskers' may create a bridge
     between the posts and board, causing undesirable results.

     On 'my' Wurlitzer, I also noticed a trap glued to the board. It looked
     like plywood, but again, I couldn't get sufficient access to explore
     this.

     I later suspected soundboard delamination. I called a couple of
     colleagues who had worked at Wurlitzer about this time, to determine
     whether the company was using laminate boards. They tried, but due to
     the age involved, indicated that this piano's age fell in the cracks,
     and could go either way on the laminate board question.

     I won't be seeing 'my' Wurlitzer for some time, but in your case,
     don't rule out these possibilities: glue 'bridges' and or separation
     from liner; wavetrap security and (laminate) integrity; and the
     possibility of the board being internally delaminated.

     I hope this is of some assistance. In any event, please keep us posted
     as to outcome!

     Regards/Jim Harvey
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
I am trying to locate the source of a buzzing sound in a 30 year old
Wurlitzer console.  It is prominent on B27, a wound string, but it also
occurs when other bass strings are played -- notably other B's or F#'s.
The piano has been in Colorado since it was new, so major climate variation
is not a factor.




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