Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum Lingering tone on piano keys

I am seeking advice from technician community for a problem
I just noticed on my new baby grand .
There a a 3 keys next to eachother that produce a lingering
Tone like whistling that linger even after one realize the key.
Or a better analogy is like sound when a stone hit on glass.

I wonder if it is fixable? or something that recurs due to manufacturing issues.
I have the piano since 2 months and had a similar issue on a key on different
Register but it sounded a bit different and the technician was able
To fix it by raising the string. now just the key next it have the same
Problem.

Not sure if I should go back to manufacturer to use the warranty for
Fixing it or is it common problem that technicians fix once for ever.

Am I looking at reoccurring issues with this piano or these are commonly
Problem that can be fixed once?

Sorry a bit helpless at this point as I am thinking of using a different
Technician. Trying to figure out if it is the technician or the piano!

Appreciate your response and advise
Marryw

You might consider recording the sound and posting it on the forum, we would then perhaps have a better idea of what your issue may be.

I've been fired from two jobs workng for dealers because I noticed manufactring defects and told the customer they needed to exchange the piano.

If I wanted to keep a job with a dealer (which I don't) and I found problems with a piano, I would just look the other way and hope the owner didn't notice.

Dealer technicians have to work for the dealer, not the piano owner.

String level should have been done at the factory, or the store, or during the first in-home tuning. The fact that you had to call them to come and fix it (did you or was that done at the first tuning?) means the manufacturer, dealer, and tech don't care.

Today, if you don't pay a lot of money for a high quality piano, you will have these problems; there's no money in the system, because the buyer didn't pay it, to cover the extra costs to deal with manufacturing defects or over sights, before the piano gets to the buyer's home.

Get another technician to look at it.

I worked for one particular dealer for many years and often witnessed him exchanging pianos, changing techs for unhappy customers and taking the instruments back and refunding full purchase price. His method of operation made the company of solid reputation and as a result, the largest new piano dealership in the State for many years. In your case the best way to approach the problem is to ask. As the old saying goes, "If you do not ask, the answer is always, 'No.' "

Very few, if any, new pianos do not require some adjustments as these settle into a new and "unknown" environment. Sometimes this might require more than one visit. Such is true of average and expensive pianos alike.

Suggestion: Give the tech another opportunity to repair the problem. If you are not happy, call the dealer and ask him to send another tech. If all else fails, you can go straight to the manufacturer or ask the dealer for an exchange or a refund.

This may just be a case of tuning unisons rather than anything more serious seeing as the OP said the string was raised ! It is absolutely pointless bashing tuners or dealers when we can't be sure it is simply a result of a new piano settling in.

Replacing a piano for a simple minor regulation issue is extremely extreme.

A compete technician can attend this problem once and for all.

While string levelling may correct the problem it is only a feasible adjustment if it makes the strings more level. If it disturbs the mating of hammer and strings it is not appropriate.

Your description of the sound indicates a commonly found issue with a settling new piano. Your addition of the shattering glass sound is confusing.

Attention to the ringing on that is a recent development, ( I am assuming that it didn't do this when first delivered) is an indication that something has moved very slightly in the settling in process. While it possibly shouldn't happen, sometimes it does.

A competent tech will check for overadjustment of the sustain pedal then the damper timing. Then the location of the damper lift mechanism behind the pianos action. Often screws loosen enough to allow slight movement here. It doesn't take much since any slight movement is magnified by the time it gets to string level. Locating screws should be tightened. The upper damper guide rail should also be checked for location and it's screws tightened.

If the problem persists then and only then is it reasonable to address the string spacing (side to side) or the damper head itself. It is a simple and permnanent adjustment when carried out in the appropriate order.

Any tuner who cannot perform these basic adjustments, I would not hire in the first place. Any tuner who panics and suggests total replacement of a carefully selected piano because of their own inability to perform a simple adjustment is a liability to any company.

If the shattering glass sound is not an exaggeration (requests for service often include an exaggeration or two for effect) it could be a damper noise that sometimes accompanies enefficient dampers, that can also be addressed by a competent tech if the foregoing doesn't deal with it.

I assumed raising meant string leveling.

And it is NOT pointless to provide advice that WILL get better service, IMHO.

So there.

Sorry Mark but I have to disagree with you there. Much like someone getting advice from the internet medical pages because they have a headache, then worrying that they have a brain tumour, this may be something very minor like wandering unisons.... we simply can't know without seeing (or at least hearing) the patient!

Oh and one last point ..... Don't shout .... it's rather rude when like you, I too am entitled to air my thoughts.

Are you asking me not to shout or telling me. Talk about rude. I am also entitled to my opinion and entitled to shout it to make my point.

Who's assuming it is unisons?

I'm not saying change the piano. Who said that? I'm suggesting a second opinion, which your medical analogy will agree with.

So there.

Using caps to make a point is a "shout" and is considered to be rude.

Quotation marks, underlined words, or italics used for emphasis are acceptable and mannered.

It sounds like a simple case of damper adjustment. It might require that the strings be moved slightly. Lifting the string would only be a temporary fix; the strings need to be moved from side to side, if that is the problem.

(Where is that emoticon for "embarrassed"?)

Marty, that is your opinion. Please don't force it on others.

It is not an "opinion." It is considered to be standard web courtesy.

Says who? You?

It is my opinion that using capitals for one word here and there can make a point and at the same time, show the reader that the writer does has a certain amount of frustration.

HOWEVER, USING CAPITALS FOR A WHOLE SENTENCE IS RUDE, AND MINIMIZES ANY EFFECT THE WRITER WAS HOPING TO CONVEY.

So there.

How does this help the original poster with the problem? Take it outside!

Thank you for all responses from all of you. It is so nice to see how many people are willing to be help and being so passionate about what they do.
I am very grateful to all of you.
It sound like the majority of technician responded agree that it is a rather minority and part of overall settling the piano in new environment. I am not sure if I that is the case. A store technician have attended to Piano twice so far. In a first 3 hours session he said "I raised the string a bit". In a second session he worked on voicing and leveled the strings as you put it.

That is why it makes me feel the problem is more fundamental and the technician can provide only temporary fixes that kind of fade over time with changing environment and use of Piano.

I request one final time for store technician to fix the piano before taking the next step.
Once again thank you for your responses from all around the world . what a great forum!

mwallace, what piano did you buy and how long have you had it? How many keys have the problem? It is almost certainly fixable as people have described. Johnkie's suggestion to post a recording makes a lot of sense.

What I get from this posting is the sound is like a stone on glass; like a clicking noise.
Where the shattering of glass comes from I have no idea.



The sotenuto is interfering with the damper travel and causing the bleed through of sound. Raising the wire is not the correct repair obviously as the problem still remains but on other keys now.

Sostenuto adjustments. Damper wire adjustments. Perhaps even underlever adjustments.

On another note who cares who got fired from where and how who writes what.

Who cares about the imagined web courtesy which is an opinion only.

Get with the topic or get lost.

Dan, your last comments were totally off topic. Welcome to the club.