Lovely Birdcage Piano

[Geoff Sykes]

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I'm learning all kinds of wonderful stuff here so feud on. Gently, =
please.
=20
-- Geoff Sykes
-- Assoc. Los Angeles
=20

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On =
Behalf
Of Jurgen Goering
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 9:29 PM
To: pianotech
Subject: RE: Lovely Birdcage Piano


At the risk of raising the ire of the upper partial dissectors hard at =
work
on this list, I'd like to add to and prolong the overdamper thread :^)

[ Disclaimer: I hope I am not starting to look like the Houdini of
overdampers here, I simply have no fear of them and so I see more than =
the
average technician, and I am merely expressing my opinion.]

Joe Garrett wrote:


The "after-ring" is intentional!!!! Do NOT try to "improve" the damping =
of
Over-Damper Pianos....EVER! These instruments were made to sound like
"ancient" instruments, only louder and a larger compass. Please do not =
fall
into that pit. Attempting to "Improve" the damping will be a road of =
major
frustrations and failure.=20



I don't think this is really the case. While it is true, of course, that
tastes and expectations of piano tone and performance have shifted over
time, I would speculate the better overdamper pianos (of the day) indeed
tried to sound contemporary - after all, they were competing against
underdamper pianos already (I am talking 1880s + )

When I encounter a 100 year old underdamper piano with leaky dampers and
tubby bass strings, I always assume the instrument didn't sound this way
when it was new. (That is why we rebuild them.) Similarly, on overdamper
pianos the after-ring is surely several times more than it originally =
was.=20

It is often fairly easy to get rid of at least half of the after-ring, =
which
probably gets the piano sounding a lot closer to what it was supposed to
sound like. An easy test for the potential of damping improvement is to =
push
the overdamper assembly in toward the strings and compare the after-ring =
to
the original state. Usually, damping improves considerably. Often, the
overdamper assembly can be brought in a bit closer to the strings with =
the
center support. If not, the action "holders" (rarely are they brackets =
as we
know them) can be shimmed to tilt the action in a bit. Of course, this =
is
more of a make-it-work measure than a "proper" repair, but it works. =
(and I
don't have the gall to sell a two thousand dollar reconditioning job on =
a
piano like that.)=20
In many cases, the damper felts (being end grain felt - see below) have
compressed and the damper wire lift buttons are resting on the wippen -
essentially the same effect as damper arms resting on the spoons of an
underdamper action. A huge improvement can be made in short order by
adjusting the damper wires.

So, yes - go for it - DO try to improve the damping! Do we have a feud =
yet,
Joe? :^)

Regarding the felt:
Ed Sutton wrote:


Please note that when replacing dampers on 19th century pianos you must
first ascertain the grain orientation of the original dampers.  You may =
need
to cut new dampers from felt sheets to duplicate the original dampers.
Changing the grain orientation will change the damping.  Of course, you =
need
to be sure the dampers on the piano are original! To understand damper =
felt
grain, tear apart old dampers in various directions, noting that some =
ways
tear in even sheets, others resist or tear raggedly.
Ed S.


and Joe Garrett wrote:


I have no problem with replacing the damper felt, as long as it is the
CORRECT felt, with the CORRECT fiber orientation.<G>=20



Most often on overdamper actions, the damper felt is END grain felt, =
i.e.
cut ends of the wool fibers are contacting and damping the strings. If
anyone is looking for this kind of felt, I have some in stock. (I have =
been
told it is quite the job to install new felt and regulate the dampers on
these beasties. But, hey, there is always the excuse "That's what they =
were
MADE to sound like")

I think that is about all I know on this subject, so I will go away =
now...

Jurgen Goering
Piano Forte Supply
(250) 754-2440
info@pianofortesupply.com
http://www.pianofortesupply.com



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