Advice please. Steinway K which I tuned a couple days ago. I pulled the action and did some voicing (sugarcoating using Coleman's teensy needles); put it back, checked the damper placement; noticed that the strings in the low tenor are awful close together; used the string spacing tool to open them up a tad; played, and thought O GOD I shouldn't have moved those strings! The trichord dampers no longer fit their trichords. I tried to put them back but the customer just called me about B2, E3 and F3, which are important repetitions in the piece she is performing, and there's a nasty after buzz. I know exactly what the problem is and I will go tomorrow to fix it. But how best to fit the dampers to match the strings in low tenor?
On another forum where I asked the above, answers included: "Insert silk cord (or cotton thread) between the legs of the damper felt to spread them apart and put more pressure on the strings." "Steinway Verticals are notorious for Damper misbehaving due to Double Flanges arrangement....""Always make sure you know which string is leaking." "Using razor knife cut the groove between the legs deeper giving the legs more individual freedom.""Remove damper felt and replace"
Update. I spent an hour attempting to fix this. For the six offending notes (B2 to E3) I used a sharp tool to scoop out the felt-goop accumulated between the legs. I used a jeweler's pliers to crimp the legs. I cut 4 lengths of cotton thread and inserted between all the legs. I strengthened all the damper springs. I massaged the string positions to what seemed right to my eye. I played and listened and damped with my finger. Most of them came out ok, but B2 (the bottom tenor) kept a maybe 14th partial and it was coming from the middle string. Pulled the middle string toward me - a little better but not gone. I noticed that the left edge of that damper (which contacts the leftmost string) had a ledge worn into it. Took a razor blade and shaved that side to be smooth. And a few notes in the bottom tenor left an after-ring, even though it was NOT from the struck strings (which I damped with my thumb). The piano maintained a sympathetic echo, ESPECIALLY on B2, and the customer is now hyper-sensitive and VERY concerned. I have pledged to make this better, although I have no idea why the whole piano has an after-ring when it's NOT the strings that I moved in the first place. I expect I will space strings, mate hammers, then glue new trichord dampers. (or do I have to replace the full set of dampers??)
------------------------------
Jason Kanter
Lynnwood WA
425-830-1561
------------------------------