Teacher's piano problem - Update

[ATodd@UH.EDU]

   Here's the update I mentioned that just now came in.

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> Dick,
>     Boy. You may have stumped me here. A couple of questions, though. Does
> the "noise" happen only at the instant the hammer hits the string or can
> you also hear it on a slow depression of the key without the hammer touching
> the string?

Only upon hitting the string.

Is it in the bichord (2 strings) section only, single string
> only, or both?

Bichord section only.

Does the sound happen consistently, every time you play the
> note, or is just every now and then? Do you hear it only on soft blows or
> only on loud, or any kind of blow?

Consistently, every time the note is played, at any volume, although
the "organ pipe" quality is most noticeable (and objectionable) when
played softly).

>     I assume that you and/or your technician has checked for any foreign
> objects on the soundboard?

There are no foreign objects there.

>Other than that, the only thing I can think of is
> a damper noise of some kind. But I would think that would only be heard on
> a soft blow. Another "long shot" is the way the hammer mates to the strings.

> Is this something new that has just recently started?

I must confess I didn't hear it when I tried the piano out before we
bought it (and thus I would like to think it WASN'T there!).  The
dealer did do some voicing (down) before delivery.

>Has your technician contacted Baldwin? I think the Baldwin tech is on the
>pianotech list, so maybe he'll respond if he has any ideas.

Sounds good!  No, we haven't contacted Baldwin yet.

>The way you "spelled" the noise doesn't seem like it could be an overtone
>type of noise. That, the way I think of it, would be some kind of a ringing
>type of sound as opposed to a sudden, quick type of sound.

It's definitely a "higher" sound, but sudden, and not ringing.  It is
not a specific pitch.  I've played enough Crumb to know the
difference! (true confessions to a piano technician).

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   Well, there are my questions and his answers. They pretty well blow what
few ideas I had out of the water. Any ideas?

Avery Todd, RPT
University of Houston
atodd@uh.edu