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have an 1888 Chickering grand that has had some rebuilding done back in the 1980's. I've owned the piano for about 8 years (winters) now with few mechanical incidents, but for the past 6 weeks or so I have been at wits end to determine what I will describe as a low "hissing", not buzzing, sound noticable when a note is struck. It is basically confined to the middle range of the piano, about a two octave span. I've had two experience technicians inspect the problem and they have not been able to determine the cause. It's not the damper felts, hammer felts, cracked soundboard, loose rib, sympathetic vibrations, loose keyboard cover or any hardward part, piano action, etc. I've inspected the soundboard for any articles or debris and have found nothing! I would sincerely appreciate any thoughts or observations to help identify what is causing this, because there's truly little enjoyment playing the piano under these conditions! My sense is that perhaps winter's low humidity (I live in Vermont) is somehow involved here, but I'm not sure exactly in what way it would factor into creating this vibration.

jesp1 - Welcome to piano world.

I would suggest that you find a qualified piano herpetologist.

What got added to, or changed in the room six weeks ago?

Maybe your piano suffers from Mr. Fandrich's newest invention...

It is quite possible that something outside of your piano is vibrating sympathetically. I've experienced that myself and it might take some time to narrow down what the culprit is.

Does your neighbour have a cat that's gone missing recently?

Having a technician verify
a buzz makes it go from a *minor* figment of
your imaginantion to a real-life issue.
Having 2 inspect and confirm the buzz is
there made it grow 2 times in strength and
will annoy you 4 times as much.

All your fussing and searching has only
entrenched it further, and now that you've
gone and posted about it about it on the
Internet, you have basically opened the
gates of h.e. double hockey sticks on your
poor piano.

Sell it to a School for the Deaf and
learn for next time:

Buzz??? I don't hear A THING!!!

I don't think it is snakes or cats. More likely the telegraph cables that sing down the highway or possibly the warbling of a meadowlark.

Yep - Just checked - It's still today.

Have you been playing this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzorssRJce4

If this post is really meant to be serious I think it is beyond silly and lacking in empathy. The techs didn't say there was no buzz or that is was inaudible or insignificant. Any extraneous sound, especially on many notes, is not something that one should be told to just ignore.

The more we discuss, the more we will it.
Explore further at your own risk. Heed my
warning: what was once a subtle little buzz
soon becomes a cachophnpoy of HISSES and
RATTLES simply by THINKING OR TALKING
ABOUT IT... LOOKING FOR IT AND "TAKING"
ACTION????? NO, No, bad majic.

your piano is possesed....
call a priest not a tech.

I know the techs heard it... but they couldn't
help him could they???/ DOOMED!!! DOOMED!!!
STOP TALKING ABOUT IT BEFORE HIS PIANO
EXPLODES!

Most likely one of the cross beams has gone out askew on the treadle.

Rob

I understand your problem. When you get attached to your piano and it becomes very sentimental and kind of like a close friend. You live with the piano and piano becomes a part of you.

I have over 40 years experience in piano business and dealt with many antique pianos. I was very successful in solving this kind of acoustical problems. Since I am in Los Angeles, I am not able to help you, but I am confident that there are technicians, who are members of PTG in your area who will be able to resolve this problem.

Go to www.ptg.org and find your local top techs in the industry and contact them directly. Don't give up. Maybe they cannot fix the problem, but they'll definitely find it and explain what caused the hissing.

Good luck!

Start by having a friend play and hold some big chords in the affected range while you walk around the piano and around the room. Listen carefully for the source of the hissing. You may get lucky like I did, and it'll turn out to be a framed painting on the wall or some such ....

If it turns out to actually be from the piano, approach it from every possible direction, even crawl under it and listen. If you can narrow down what it's coming from, that'll help a lot. There are loads of things it could be, perhaps a failing glue joint....

I think Sprung's suggestion is better than mine, which is to look for the snake which has made its winter home in the piano's back action.

"...I've had two experience[d] technicians inspect the problem and they have not been able to determine the cause..."

Good there, and just the right thing to do. It can be hard to find these viperish things, and it may not even be in the piano.

"...perhaps winter's low humidity (I live in Vermont) is somehow involved here, but I'm not sure exactly in what way it would factor in..."

You don't need to be exactly sure, if you correct the seasonal humidity problem. That would be good for your piano (and more comfortable for you) even if the problem turns out not to be related to humidity.

I'm still inclined to think this was an April Fools Day prank.

Clues: Date; new poster; nothing in profile.

Maybe 'jesp1' will return, or not. We shall see.

Or maybe the new poster was indeed serious but will stay away because of the unwelcoming responses like yours and others....

I see nothing in the OP which is indicative of a prank. Hundreds and hundreds of people join PW every year - it would be unusual if there was no one posting for the first time on April 01.

A mechanic's stethoscope may help, available at auto stores. It's often hard to accurately determine the direction a sound is coming from, in a piano as well as an engine.

Is the sound affected by the position of any pedal? What is the range of keys that create the sound? Does it sound different when different keys are struck?

--Cy--