Chickering (Wurlitzer) Buzzing Problem (resubmitted)

[Barbara Richmond]

Hi Stuart,

Is this a vertical piano?  How much pressure do you have to use to stop the 
buzzing?  This may sound flippant, but the problem might be a caster. 
Really!  I struggled with a Wurlitzer one time and could have sworn it was 
the bridge.  If I pressed on it, the buzzing stopped--of course, I was 
pressing on it with my foot.  :-)   It was the right front caster.  I got a 
couple of those rectangular erasers from one of the kids in the house and 
put them under the front casters (couldn't seem them for the carpet....) 
There's probably something a lot more elegant to use for the problem.

Good luck,

Barbara Richmond, RPT
near Peoria, IL

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <sdpianotech at itctel.com>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2008 1:40 AM
Subject: Chickering (Wurlitzer) Buzzing Problem (resubmitted)


> Greetings, List.
>
> I'm still stumped.  I sent this message to the list last week but far 
> more interesting topics have been on the minds of list members so it's 
> understandable my question has been put aside for other topics.  But I  am 
> still needing to solve the problem.  I'm hoping for some suggestions.
>
>  The piano is about 12 years old and in good shape except that C#5 and a 
> few
> surrounding notes create a strong buzz which I located in the top end  of 
> the bass bridge.
>  My early suspicions were loose screw/button on back of soundboard  and/or 
> loose
> bridge/apron glue joint on front of soundboard.  Later thoughts  include 
> delamination of
> plies in soundboard near end of bridge.  The buzzing stops if I apply 
> pressure to the
> bridge, the tiny overhang of apron sticking out beyond the end of the  top 
> end of the
> bridge, or to the soundboard area just above the bridge.
>
> My repair attempts were to tighten screw on the back of the soundboard 
> attaching the
> bridge (had to drill through back post to get to it) and work CA glue into
> bridge/apron/soundboard joints on the front.  None of this worked.  I  did 
> my usual
> seating of strings and bridge pins with no noticeable improvement.
>
> Any thoughts/ideas/suggestions?  This piano is played a lot by an 
> accomplished church
> musician and the buzzing has got to go.
>
> Thanks to all for any help.
>
> Stuart Davidson
> South Dakota, USA
>
>