Teacher's piano problem

[RVCARR@aol.com]

>From: ATodd@UH.EDU

>Subject: Teacher's piano problem

>I have in my studio a 7' Baldwin, purchased about 4 years ago.
 at the initial tone there is a "pfffft" sound, which reminds
>me a little of the mechanical sound of an organ pipe.  It doesn't
>happen on each note. Could it be some type of overtone caused by the
>damper exciting the string upon playing?
>

I have just bumped into a similar sound in several Kawai grands. Went this
evening to look at a couple pianos, at a customers request, at THE BIG SALE
at the Stetson Music School (where I tune the pianos but try to stay out of
the sales events). In comparing a brand new RX-3 (6 foot one) to the GS-60
(six foot six?) that has been at the music school for a year, noticed "chiff"
in the notes from the bass break down for an octave or more in the RX-3. The
GS-60 had good transition through the break and no such sound effects.
Checking other grands in the room, I found all the new RX grands (several
sizes) had the chiff. Some of the older Kawai grands had a similar sound to a
lesser extent.
This is NOT a damper noise. Or extraneous hammer noise. It is transient
partials for sure. But why?
With as many new examples in one room producing the same effect, I would
guess it is not bad strings. Certainly hammer voicing affects the
proportional strenth of the various partials, but I don't think hammer
voicing tecniques would fix the "problem" without killing the tone. I wonder
whether, in this part of the scale, changing the strike point slightly (you
couldn't do it more than slightly, and not easily at that) would accentuate
or lessen  the particular partials involved.
There is the further question, with these Kawais at least, whether the
"noise" is a problem. An organist might find it charming. I would find it an
interesting effect if I could turn it on and off, but I think I would find it
annoying if I had to live with it. As I may have to if any of these RX-s
remain at Stetson for the next year.

Anybody else find this chiff effect in new Kawai RX series grands? Any
"solutions" offered? Has the "problem" with the Baldwin SF been solved or at
least diagnosed.

Robert V. Carr, RPT, Stetson School of Music, downtown DeLand, 25 miles from
the World's Most Famous Beach, host til March 10th to Bike Week '96. Then
Spring Break through Easter. Avoid the area if you can!!!!