Steinway damper "thump"

[Wimblees]

In a message dated 98-05-15 09:22:13 EDT, you write:

>The owner says that this thump has always been there.Of course, any grand
>damper set will make noise on a rapid release of the pedal but this is
>REALLY loud. To make matters worse, the piano is in a large open room,
>hardwood floors, NO furniture or drapes and 12 foot ceilings. 
>Any thoughts,tips, suggestions?
>
>
>Paul E. Dempsey, RPT



I had this same problem on another piano, (not a Steinway), but the room
conditions were similar. My solution, which reduced the "thump" about half,
was removing each damper, and "voicing" each felt. It is surprising how hard
those felts can get in a short period of time. I also adjusted the pedals and
tramp work so that the dampers are raised the minimum amount over the strings,
and still allow the sostonuto to work. On a Steinway this might mean removing
some leather, and adjusting the sostonuto bar, but it might be worth the
effort.

Good luck

Willem Blees RPT St. louis