damper problem (probably just stupidity on my part)

[David Ilvedson]

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More than likely the problem is length of bass dampers.   The=
 first thing is checking if your arm against the bass strings=
 eliminates the overring when playing the tenor.   Read Bill=
 Spurlock's articles in the Journal on making dampers...
David I.


----- Original message ---------------------------------------->
From: <Tvak@aol.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Received: Tue, 30 Nov 2004 22:33:26 EST
Subject: damper problem (probably just stupidity on my part)

List

I don't think anyone can help me with this, but here goes...

I replaced the damper felts on an Acrosonic spinet.  My initial=
 diagnosis and decision to replace the damper felts was based on=
 the familiar sound of ringing after notes were played.  I did=
 notice that the spoons were lifting most of the dampers very=
 early, preventing some of the dampers from having good contact=
 pressure with the string, but I found a few that were OK and=
 when I checked them, they didn't dampen very well, either, so I=
 decided that the felt (which was original to this 1940s piano)=
 needed replacing.  It was my hope that the additional height=
 from the new felt would remedy the spoon lift timing, but if not=
 I was ready to regulate those suckers, too.

When I put the action back in the piano I found that the=
 dampening is not much better.  But why?
     1. There is follow through on all the dampers.  (In case I'm=
 not clear, I mean that the damper will
          move with the string when the string is pressed toward=
 the soundboard, indicating that there     
          is proper pressure for the damper to dampen the=
 string.)
     2. The spoons are indeed lifting at the proper time, and so=
 they are not impeding the damper levers from pressing           =
     against the strings.   (There is follow through.) 
     3. The damper pedal is not holding the dampers away from the=
 strings.  (Again, there is follow 
          through.)
     4. The dampers are seated well on the strings.  It's not a=
 string level issue.  (It's not one of the
          three strings on a trichord, for instance.  It's all of=
 them equally.)
     5. The dampers are aligned to the strings properly.  The=
 bichords dampen both strings equally, the trichords dampen all  =
         three equally.  Just not enough, it seems.

They do all dampen somewhat.  I mean, it's not like the pedal is=
 down.  But there is definitely sound after the keys are returned=
 to the up position.  It sounds just about the same as it did=
 before I replaced them!  (A second question might be, who among=
 you would charge this woman for your work?  I won't, until I can=
 get it to sound better.)

I did file the hammers, which were heavily groovy, man.  I didn't=
 change the hammer blow distance though, due to the spoons=
 initially being on the early side, I thought it was best to just=
 leave it as is.  I was happy that the spoon lift was OK with the=
 new damper felts.  I hate regulating spoons.  I didn't do=
 anything else to the piano, other than replace a few bridle=
 straps.
     
I'm going back on Saturday to check it out, and see if perhaps=
 the felt has started to conform to the contour of the strings=
 and dampen better, but if they don't, then what?  I'll try=
 dampening all the treble strings that have no dampers with a=
 towel and see if the ringing goes away, but I don't think it=
 will.

Any ideas?  Is there something I've not thought of?  Any=
 diagnostic procedures that might shed light on this?

Thanks in advance, 

Tom Sivak
Chicago PTG Associate


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