---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment List I tune a Tokai grand at a local banquet/convention center, although rarely. This piano has been neglected since it was bought, probably some time in the late 80s/early 90s. As I was tuning it, I found that the damper on B5 didn't lift, making it difficult to tune, so I depressed the damper pedal and indeed the damper did lift with the pedal. So, now being able to sustain the note, I struck it again, preparing to tune the note. WOW. It seemed as if every note on the piano vibrated in sympathy. I mean, it sounded exactly like someone took their fingernail and with the dampers lifted, scraped all the strings allowing them all to vibrate. Now, I know you get some sympathetic vibrating strings when you strike a single note with the damper pedal down, but THIS WAS DIFFERENT. This wasn't just a few strings in the overtone series vibrating along. This was the sound of EVERY STRING ON THE PIANO. Or at least all the steel strings in the middle section, because when I struck it again, I took the palm of my hand and muted as many strings as I could in the middle section (that's all I could reach) and the sound went away. All those strings were somehow set into vibration by the striking of this one key. And it wasn't just that key, it was any key in that section. I was in a rush so I didn't do any further experimenting, such as seeing if the same thing happened when I struck a note in the bass, for instance. I didn't plan on the extra time to repair the dampers (I found two others that didn't lift) and it was one of those days that I HAD to stay on schedule. I wonder if any of you have a theory as to what's going on here? I don't think it's an acoustical phenomenon. I think it is mechanical. I think somehow the bridge is transferring energy/vibrations to the other strings. Or maybe the soundboard somehow activates the other strings to vibrate. I don't know...I'm talking nonsense here...but what the heck could be happening? Tom Sivak Chicago PTG Associate ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/b0/ea/6e/45/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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