Pianotech

  • 1.  upright felt mute rail - adjacent notes

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-06-2022 13:57
    We all know that when using the mute rail on an upright, the felt can make adjacent unstruck strings sound, in the high treble, or when the damper pedal is down. The problem seems to be worse if the felt sheet hangs farther away from the strings, or if there is extra felt below the strike point -- more movement when the sheet is struck in either case. Do we agree with that? But even when the felt is positioned ideally, it can still be noticeable. Moreso on pianos with thicker felt. Has anyone has success with slicing the felt between each hammer? It seems like after a year of playing, it could be totally frayed and misaligned. But I would be interested to hear any experiences from others. Thanks!

    ------------------------------
    Frank Chemotti
    Seattle WA
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: upright felt mute rail - adjacent notes

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-07-2022 14:35
    Frank,
    I have indeed tried slicing the felt between unisons seeking the same desired result of not hitting neighboring strings. It didn’t work too well, and as you anticipated, it got chewed up rather fast. I think the best I’ve experienced is to have the barest minimum of felt at a level just below the hammer strike point.

    Joe Wiencek
    NYC