Pianotech

Hello all,

I tune a 1998 Yamaha C2 for our music festival that has a noticeable thumping sound as the bass dampers hit the strings. It is not coming from the trapwork - if I hold down the keys on the bottom half of the piano, lifting the bass and treble dampers away from the string, then the sound goes away.

I have tried adjusting the dampers so that the front and back of the dampers don't lift at exactly the same time, and I have tried reducing the amount of pedal travel, but the thump persists.

Obviously an experienced pianist can play around the problem, and in an ideal situation the students would learn to control their feet to release the dampers slowly. However, in this particular situation, this is the recital piano, not the piano that the students get to practice on, and it really is noisier than average. The advanced teachers are annoyed that their students are getting marked down for their pedal work.

My only thoughts are to replace the dampers and/or slow down the damper return by increasing friction in the guide bushings and/or the damper tray. Is there something I am missing before giving them a quote on damper replacement?

Hello all,

I tune a 1998 Yamaha C2 for our music festival that has a noticeable thumping sound as the bass dampers hit the strings. It is not coming from the trapwork - if I hold down the keys on the bottom half of the piano, lifting the bass and treble dampers away from the string, then the sound goes away.

I have tried adjusting the dampers so that the front and back of the dampers don't lift at exactly the same time, and I have tried reducing the amount of pedal travel, but the thump persists.

Obviously an experienced pianist can play around the problem, and in an ideal situation the students would learn to control their feet to release the dampers slowly. However, in this particular situation, this is the recital piano, not the piano that the students get to practice on, and it really is noisier than average. The advanced teachers are annoyed that their students are getting marked down for their pedal work.

My only thoughts are to replace the dampers and/or slow down the damper return by increasing friction in the guide bushings and/or the damper tray. Is there something I am missing before giving them a quote on damper replacement?

Hello all,

I tune a 1998 Yamaha C2 for our music festival that has a noticeable thumping sound as the bass dampers hit the strings. It is not coming from the trapwork - if I hold down the keys on the bottom half of the piano, lifting the bass and treble dampers away from the string, then the sound goes away.

I have tried adjusting the dampers so that the front and back of the dampers don't lift at exactly the same time, and I have tried reducing the amount of pedal travel, but the thump persists.

Obviously an experienced pianist can play around the problem, and in an ideal situation the students would learn to control their feet to release the dampers slowly. However, in this particular situation, this is the recital piano, not the piano that the students get to practice on, and it really is noisier than average. The advanced teachers are annoyed that their students are getting marked down for their pedal work.

My only thoughts are to replace the dampers and/or slow down the damper return by increasing friction in the guide bushings and/or the damper tray. Is there something I am missing before giving them a quote on damper replacement?

The upstop rail in the bass has more than a mm in clearance. 

Hello all,

I tune a 1998 Yamaha C2 for our music festival that has a noticeable thumping sound as the bass dampers hit the strings. It is not coming from the trapwork - if I hold down the keys on the bottom half of the piano, lifting the bass and treble dampers away from the string, then the sound goes away.

I have tried adjusting the dampers so that the front and back of the dampers don't lift at exactly the same time, and I have tried reducing the amount of pedal travel, but the thump persists.

Obviously an experienced pianist can play around the problem, and in an ideal situation the students would learn to control their feet to release the dampers slowly. However, in this particular situation, this is the recital piano, not the piano that the students get to practice on, and it really is noisier than average. The advanced teachers are annoyed that their students are getting marked down for their pedal work.

My only thoughts are to replace the dampers and/or slow down the damper return by increasing friction in the guide bushings and/or the damper tray. Is there something I am missing before giving them a quote on damper replacement?

The upstop rail in the bass has more than a mm in clearance. 

Hello all,

I tune a 1998 Yamaha C2 for our music festival that has a noticeable thumping sound as the bass dampers hit the strings. It is not coming from the trapwork - if I hold down the keys on the bottom half of the piano, lifting the bass and treble dampers away from the string, then the sound goes away.

I have tried adjusting the dampers so that the front and back of the dampers don't lift at exactly the same time, and I have tried reducing the amount of pedal travel, but the thump persists.

Obviously an experienced pianist can play around the problem, and in an ideal situation the students would learn to control their feet to release the dampers slowly. However, in this particular situation, this is the recital piano, not the piano that the students get to practice on, and it really is noisier than average. The advanced teachers are annoyed that their students are getting marked down for their pedal work.

My only thoughts are to replace the dampers and/or slow down the damper return by increasing friction in the guide bushings and/or the damper tray. Is there something I am missing before giving them a quote on damper replacement?