maddening dampers to mute strips

[Ron Nossaman]

>Good points. Slop in the guide bushing allowing the damper to "float". 

Is this the reason, assuming that there is one beyond random accident, that
so many dampers are sluggish from excessive side pressure? The side
pressure being intended to compensate for guide bushing wear?


> This
>relates to the muting process while tuning. A lot of bleed through can
>really be confusing to a new tuner. Thicker strips distort the string
>changing bridge tension and the way the hammer hits the string you are
>trying to tune. Also, it can cause maddening damper damage. (shudder). What
>would be the ideal mute strip? Is a thick strip woven close to the capo bar
>effective  enough or should I stay close to hammer line with a strip that
>causes minimal sideways deflection? Is there a ratio for placement based on
>the distance from strike point to capo bar? On a grand, from strike point to
>bridge? Keith

Or possibly something so artless and Philistine as simply moving your low
tech mute strip fore or aft a centimeter or so until it quiets down. It
could probably be set up in a spreadsheet to generate the properly high
number of decimal places of placement accuracy, but you'd have to take
longitudinal modes and pinblock flange bedding into account too. It's
nearly always more complicated than it looks or sounds. Under the
circumstances, listening and strip sliding seems to work pretty well when
no one is watching.

Ron N