Dead note--no sustain

[Roger Jolly]

Hi Jeannie,

>I was hoping to find a place for Q&A in the journal, so I hope this doesnt
>waste to much of your time but I've got a Kawai studio with one note (5
>below the treble break), that has o.k. attack, but no decay and short
>sustain. 

One of the most common causes of this malady is loose bridge pins, and
bridge related problems. Loose pins will rob the note of a lot of energy,
create false beats, and some times can add some very stange metallic noises.
Tap the top of the pin with a hammer shank or pin set punch, also make sure
the string is seated nicely to the bridge, and note the change.
In extreme cases, I will pull the pin, work in some 5min epoxy or medium
viscosity CA glue, reinstall the pin.  I'm surprised at the improvement
every time.
A badly grooved or pitted pressure bar can give similar symptoms. Use a
very blunt screw driver to move the string over and check for an improvement.
It could also be as simple as a wood chip trapped between the strings and
the bridge notch.

Regards Roger



Only one note has this sounding problem. Termination points seem
>fine. It sounds almost like a frequency fighting with the plate or
>something. I have had this problem before on a different studio piano and
>have not solved the problem. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thank
>you for your time and consideration of this message.
>Jeffrey Arnold , Appleton Chapter 549 Wisconsin   freypiano@msn.com
>
>Jeannie Grassi, RPT
>Assistant Editor, Piano Technicians Journal
>mailto:jgrassi@silverlink.net
> 
Roger Jolly
Saskatoon, Canada.
306-665-0213
Fax 652-0505