Plate Ringing

[Kevin E. Ramsey]

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    Yes, strumming the strings was one of the first things I tried.=20
    I'm starting to think that the correct answer is the one I got from =
Don Mannino, that just because the dampers seem to be working, they may =
not be. Possibly the dampers may actually be too small for the piano, =
they looked like they were about 2" long. Hate to have to install all =
new dampers on a "new" piano though. My initial inspection gave me the =
impression that we could probably put all new dampers on it, and it =
wouldn't help, but maybe I'm wrong. If that ends up happening, and it =
makes a big difference, I'll let the list know.

Kevin E. Ramsey
ramsey@extremezone.com=20
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Z! Reinhardt=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Friday, June 08, 2001 6:20 AM
  Subject: Re: Plate Ringing


  Have you tried "raking" the strings (everything in rest position) with =
a fingernail or guitar pick to see if any dampers are letting any sound =
bleed through?  How about doing this with the sustain pedal depressed, =
then released quickly to see what sounds continue to ring afterwards?

  When you strike the plate with the heel of your hand or whatever it =
takes to cause the whole piano to ring, could you make the ring go away =
by grasping the plate struts or planting a hand firmly on the plate =
somewhere?  I once ran into this phenomena on a Japanese-made grand.

  Z! Reinhardt  RPT
  Ann Arbor  MI
  diskladame@provide.net
    ----- Original Message -----=20
    From: Kevin E. Ramsey=20
    To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
    Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2001 10:46 PM
    Subject: Plate Ringing


        I had an odd occurrence today that I really hope that you all =
can help me with. I had a customer who has a new Steinway model 4510 =
(model 45?) studio, with damper problems. When I got out there, it's =
kind of a damper problem, but not really. The problem is;

    A)  The whole piano rings, when you play a chord or any note in a =
staccato fashion.

    B)  The pedals are not lifting the dampers.

    C) The spoons are not too early, the strings have plenty of follow.

    D) The dampers are aligned properly.=20

        In short, no real problem with the damper system. What I did =
notice while working on the trapwork was that if I stuck the plate with =
the heel of my hand, the whole piano would ring. When you struck the =
piano anywhere, it would ring.=20
        I did notice that some of the bi-chords where indented by the =
strings, but they had plenty of follow-through.
        The waste ends on the hitch pin side of the strings were already =
braided.=20
        I tried striking notes with my hand on groups of strings, and no =
effect. I strummed groups of notes and found nothing leaking. And yet =
the whole piano had a real ring to it.=20

        I'm just wondering if the plate, being sand cast, could have =
warped and twisted enough to cause some weird tension on it which would =
cause it to ring like a bell. I mean, if something as massive as a plate =
wanted to ring, could you really expect the energy to go up the strings =
to be damped by little pieces of felt? =20
        I hope that someone can help me out. Tomorrow I call Kent Webb, =
and see if he can help.
        One interesting note here. This piano was just purchased three =
months ago. I looked it up in the Atlas, it was produced in '96.
         =20


    Kevin E. Ramsey
    ramsey@extremezone.com=20

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