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Hello:

I am having an ongoing problem with my Pianodisc CD player system which is installed on a Hailun Hg151 baby grand. The piano was bought new and came with the player system installed.

The problem is that I hear thumping when the sustain pedal is activated via the solenoid. I have had qualified technicians come out to evaluate it and some try and adjust it and another just says that is part of the "beast".

Several years ago one of the upper management people at Pianodisc said they were working on a fix, but I never heard anything else, even though I have tried to contact them for followup.

Just wondering if any of you have ran into such a problem and can offer any possible resolutions. I love the piano and the player system, but just wish I could eliminate and/or reduce the "thumping sound".

Thanks, in advance, for any and all replies!

The sustain thump can be a problem but most times it can be reduced to the point where it does not take away from the enjoyment of the music.
You want to figure out if the thump is coming when the dampers are raising off the strings or when the dampers are coming back down on the strings.
If the thump is happening when the dampers are lifting then the solenoid lift power can be reduced.
If the thump is happening as the dampers come back down on the strings , the problem is often that the solenoid is lifting the dampers too high off the strings so that when the solenoid releases the dampers they come down with a thump. The fix is to adjust the solenoid so that the dampers lift just nearly enough to clear the strings and no more. Now when the solenoid releases the dampers only move a very small distance and there is no thump.
The third place the the thump comes from is the travel of the solenoid. The solenoid travel should be only enough to lift the dampers and come back down enough so that the dampers stop the sound of the strings. There is an adjustment for the travel on the top of the solenoid that adjusts the travel by adjusting the stop pad the solenoid rests against when it is not being activated and raising the dampers.
If all these things are adjusted correctly it should not thump to the point that you hear it above the playing of the piano
Hope this helps.

Larry,

Thanks for taking the time to reply in detail. I have printed off your reply and will again try and find someone new to adjust the mechanism as you have described. However, two or three player piano specialists I have had out seemed qualified in both installations and repairs. Pianodisc has even sent out two different factory reps over the past 3+ years, to no avail.

Thanks again!!

Larry,

Are there any sources for online instructions for making this adjustment?

Not that I know of. Pianodisc runs training classes so I know they have material on how to set up the pedal, but I don't think it is up for the public to look at on their web site.

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply. I finally got a reply back from their tech support in India. They said the problem should be solvable and advised me to get a qualified technician out to remedy the problem.

I sent them a reply listing all the ones that have been out to date and asked for suggestions for someone else they might recommend. Have note heard back yet. I am surprised that this problem is that hard to solve.

Thanks again for your info. I appreciate it!

Just as a update, I have emailed them back 3 more times and still not heard anything further from their tech support in India.

I think you have been very patient. In your position I would simply call up the US office and talk to the tech rep there.

NINA BUTLER or Mark Burgett (owner)
TEL: 1-916-567-9999
Email: nina@wessellnickelandgross.com
Tech@pianodisc.com

Good advice and I will consider that. Thank you.