ringing

[Barbara Richmond]

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Good reply, Tom Sivak, you've probably nailed it.  But just in =
case........

Ed, can the customer tell you when the ringing started?  Change of =
weather, some small change in decorating?  I got a call back when a =
customer told me one of the pedals didn't work after I tuned her piano.  =
I returned and found that she had placed a rather thick area rug under =
the lyre (you know, to protect the wall-to-wall carpeting) so the pedal =
didn't have quite enough clearance. =20

Is it a true ringing or sort of a ringing buzz?  Gosh, without being =
there to hear the actual sound it's sort of hard to advise. There are a =
*multitude* of places to check. My favorite was when I learned that =
CASTERS can take on a musical life of their own (push down on the leg or =
back corner or wedge something under the caster to test).  Some other =
things to check in the piano are (help welcomed here) :

Case hardware=20
Loose rails in the action
Pedal rods=20
Action brackets might not be seated well. =20

Outside the piano is anybody's guess and always a possibility.  Have the =
customer play while you touch every knick-knack, picture frame, light =
bulb, air duct cover, etc.

Isn't hunting for ringing and buzzes FUN?  It's my FAVORITE part of =
working on pianos!  (NOT)   One time as I sat on the floor in front of a =
small vertical piano, playing the offending note while putting pressure =
on the bass bridge with my foot, I said to the customer, "See, if you =
sit down here and play like this, there's no problem!"  :-)

I didn't check the archives, there might have already been a good =
discussion of this type of problem.

Good luck!

Barbara Richmond, RPT
somewhere near Peoria, IL

PS  I used to have a list, pages long, of things that could ring, buzz =
or clunk in a piano.  Sorry, I couldn't find the list, but I did have an =
interesting time reading through some other stuff!  :-)
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Ed Carwithen=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2003 4:08 PM
  Subject: ringing


  I need some input about a piano that has a serious damping (actually a =
non-damping) problem.  Tones continue to ring after the key is released. =
 It is particularly bad on F#4 which rings at its own pitch, G#4 to a =
lesser extent, and C#3, D3, and D#3 which rings at the double octave + =
5th.  The piano is a Baldwin Acrosonic #386458.  The owner is a piano =
teacher which makes the problem a bit more acute (It's driving her out =
of her mind).

  So far I have adjusted the pedals to be sure that they are damping =
well and they seem to be.  I tried muting the non-speaking parts of all =
strings, and blocked off all the bass strings in their speaking lengths, =
as well as the treble strings above the dampers.  F#3 still singing like =
a canary.  I even blocked the F#3 string itself, and it goes "Bonk" when =
the hammer strikes but continues singing the tone the same as before.  I =
moved the piano out from the wall and checked to make sure there was =
nothing contacting the sound board.  I tapped the strings to the bridge =
to be sure that there wasn't some residual vibration being made there.  =
There is a bit of a false beat in the left string of F#3, but that =
shouldn't cause the excess ringing.  G4 not ringing, F#4 and G#4 are. =20

  There are a lot of knick-knacks in the room, and I wonder about =
suspecting some vibration in that area.=20

  If anyone has a suggestion as to what I might try in order to =
eliminate this annoying problem I would be grateful for your input.

  Ed Carwithen
  Associate PTG
  John Day, OR


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