Grand damper install -Reply

[Jack Reeves]

 I am about to install a set of dampers with new wires on a
grand piano.
Are the bends established with no felt on the head and then the
felt glued in place?  Thanks for any input.


Hi Jeff,
If you havent already gone ahead with the job, here are a few
pointers.
That very top bend of the wire establishes the distance of the
head from the point where the wire comes up from the guide rail
hole.  Since you have the old ones to look at, you can determine
with reasonable accuracy how far the original wire allowed the
head to go over.  We make the first bend after inserting the wire
into the head, holding the wire into the head with parallel pliers. At
the point where the wire leaves the slot in the head is where the
bend is made.  The wire is bent outward to at least 45 degrees.
the greater the angle here, the further away the head will be from
the guide rail hole.  then the wire is bent again as close as you
can get to the first bend back to approximate being parallel to the
side of the head.
I glue the felt on after the wires are all inserted and bent in this
manner.