Please tell me it's the instrument and not my ears

[ranniks]

I can hear it! I'm going insane! I can hear it!

I can hear the keys and the piano! I can hear the keys going down as well as the notes.

I'm really sensitive with noise. Please tell me it's just the piano and the piano mechanic can solve it? Last time I could hear the keys being pushed down my own piano as well, but not so much as of a few days ago.

What is it? The instrument or my sensitive ears?

[indianajo]

I can't play videos on this computer, but I can hear the keys click on my piano.  If I'd just paid $7000 for a new one I'd worry about it, but mine is 72 years old and I paid $1000.  I just don't worry about it.  If I was making a recording I might play a little louder and install a quilt, but for my entertainment, who cares.  When electronic organs do this we put felt under the keys, but who knows what is in a piano?
I'm more worried about the Ab that double strikes faintly: that is probably a hammer pivot, although that is the same key the string is spliced on.  So lots of opportunities to take my piano apart for a year instead of playing.  I think I'll keep playing, and try to work up the nerve to replace the string on the 1982 piano that I broke the string tuning it. Or I could splice it, like this one is done. Last time I had the tuner here, he complained about my having a cat.  I got rid of the tuner, instead of the cat, He was tuning flat anyway, I found out when I got a tuning fork for my guitar.  No wonder all the tunes on record were 1/4 tone off the key of C#.  Now pop songs on record are in D, A, or E like they should be.

[hfmadopter]

Last time I had the tuner here, he complained about my having a cat.  I got rid of the tuner, instead of the cat, He was tuning flat anyway, I found out when I got a tuning fork for my guitar.  No wonder all the tunes on record were 1/4 tone off the key of C#.  Now pop songs on record are in D, A, or E like they should be.

 Never trust a guy who doesn't like cats, sure sign of trouble there ! I would have thrown the tuner out as well, since we currently have 5 cats.

I don't think your double strike is a loose pivot, it's more likely a hammer distance problem. The key throw should let off a good 1/8" minimum before the hammer hits the string and then back check needs to be correct. It's a regulation problem not a pivot problem. Indianajo, the book by Reblitz named Piano Servicing, Tuning and Rebuilding is worth owning. It covers uprights as well as Grand pianos. It covers regulation about well enough to get you into and back out of trouble.

I'm sad to hear that you still can't watch video on your PC. That still seems odd to me but there are a lot of regulation videos on YouTube. Maybe visit a library with a faster computer on board and have a look around.

[outin]

Never trust a guy who doesn't like cats, sure sign of trouble there ! I would have thrown the tuner out as well, since we currently have 5 cats.

My poor tuner is allergic to cats and I have 8
But he still comes and never complains, although I can see he's getting some reactions...I guess he likes my piano

[indianajo]

Thanks for the book reference. I like paper books.  They don't require a lot of imported toys that have to be updated with a new operating system and updated applications every two years to keep working. 

[perfectlygrand]

Ranniks~
First, this piano Soooooooo out of tune it's hard tell what you are referring to.  However, that said, if the notes are double striking this problem is only slightly related to hammer distance (which is actually a side effect of the real issue). 

What causes double striking is a compression of the felt  of the hammer rest rail supports.  The rest rail needs to be moved forward by your tech inserting (or replacing) the felt under the supports of the hammer rest rail - this should take care of the problem, though he will have to do some regulation to get rid of the all the lost motion, adjust hammer let-off and adjust backchecks.  He/she should be able to do this in 2hrs or less.

Charles Flaum
perfectlygrand.com