maddening dampers to mute strips

[Keith Roberts]

A centimeter or so difference on a mute strip certainly is artless. Now
3/16" on a damper and you have a completely different sounding piano. That's
art. I guess I'm to assume that changing placement by a centimeter or so is
enough to know if nothing changes that wasn't the problem. Keith
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ron Nossaman" <RNossaman@KSCABLE.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 22, 2001 10:33 AM
Subject: Re: maddening dampers to mute strips


> >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
>