Hi all, and thanks for the responses... So far, the only satisfactory solution has been muting the front duplexing section, and acetone/plastic voicing solution applied to the hammers to compensate for the lack of sustaining tone. This is not an ideal remedy. I worked with filing the capo bar today, using a small hone and emery paper. Some notes got better, others remained the same. To follow, a few notes... Charles Faulk: >I don't know if Baldwin still offsets the hammer line at #54 on the >Model L. In the 1980's we started offsetting the first hammer in the >capo section forward (i.e. toward the front of the piano) as much as >1/4". >You might try looking for a better hammer strike placement there. I don't believe the hammers in this section are offset from the rest, the line appears pretty straight. Hammers aren't over-centering, and strike point is audibly set for maximum power. I've achieved pretty good results voicing-wise, with a bright fundamental tone. Lack of high partials causes fairly immediate decay, however. Wallace Wilson: >I ran into this with an SD10. You might have to >loosen the strings from the section sufficiently to remove the metal >plate(s) under which the strings run. The problem is often grooving >of the plate(s). You must determine if it's one plate (older) or >individual unison plates. My terminology is not correct, but I think >you can follow. The one I did was 1975 & had one for each treble >section. The treatment can actually be done in the piano, but you >need to go by feel and use a light and mirror. I used Sanding tape >which can be ordered from one of the piano supply houses or >Constantine's in NY. Good luck. BTW, if it's an older one, Kent >Webb informs me they don't make that replacement part any more. >????? The grands under 7' (M 5'2" R 5'8" and L 6'3") have the traditional Capo Bar arrangement for the top two sections. I talked to Kent Webb this morning, and we discussed the noise on 7' and 9' pianos, stemming from the treble termination pieces, which are made of case-hardened steel. The new pieces are much harder than the old ones, and you can retrofit new ones. I haven't run across a one-piece plate system, though. David Ilvedson: >Have you tried seating the strings at the pressure bar nearest >the tuning pins? Tap on both sides of the bar and pull the >action and seat from below in the duplex side. I have heard >dramatic changes in sizzles with this work. Worth a try... I didn't try seating from the underside as you suggest... but I moved the strings around on the first pressure bar, as well as on the Capo itself... no reduction in noise. Tomorrow I'll try the underside seating technique... Zen Reinhardt & Ralph Martin: >Sometimes much of the noise you've described can be reduced by >putting something on the strings in the front duplex. Some people >use vasalene or other forms of non-drying goop. Some people put on >a few coats of clear nail polish. The theory is that the stuff >prevents only some of the partials from coming through so that the >overall tone of the notes in question is not completely killed as >you noticed with muting off the front duplex. It's frustrating, I >know ... hope this helps. >........and yet other techs use a small drop of white glue on each >string. I tried white glue, PVC-E glue, balance rail punchings inserted between the duplex strings and slid up & down, butt felt squares between the duplex strings & the plate, and finally, before my breakdown... little rubber erasers 8-) Nothing lessened the sizzling noise emanating from the front duplexing section as well as muting off the whole section with braid felt. Ed Foote: >On several occasions, it seems that the duplex segments are going >to have their way with the note. Maybe they are just perfectly set >up for a particular frequency or combination, but in any event, they >sing.......They get in the way! > You may find some relief by taking a stringing hook and putting a >slight sideways kink in the wire. This often changes its response >frequency enough to obviate the harsh sympathy these little ends >often produce. >Good luck, I know these things can be real "hair-pullers". They certianly seem independent from each other. One duplex responded well to PVC-E glue, but not to felt, and others were the reverse. The kinked wire will be tomorrow's project. Roger Jolly: I removed the medallion and set it on Guy's desk for the rest of the day. The medallion did resonate to his typing on the computer, but didn't seem to have an effect on the Capo bar noise. I steam-voiced and filed the section, which brought out a rounder tone overall reducing hammer hardness, and used direct iron to firm up the top layers of the hammers. These hammers responded quite well, and certianly reduced some top-end brightness, as well as minimizing some of the partial noise. I brought up the fundamental tone with a couple applications of a medium acetone/keytop solution. Note to Newton Hunt: when the 2 dollar coin was introduced, I favored the term 'dubloon' over twoonie, but the latter has stuck. Roger - you owe me one! Thanks again to all... Regards, Rob Kiddell, Registered Piano Technician, PTG atonal@planet.eon.net
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