My Kawai RX-3 has developed a buzz in the lock. More specifically in the half of the lock attached to the fallboard (one half attaches to the fallboard, the other one attaches to the lid). My technician suggested using a couple drops of oil. That did not work. Any ideas?

Thanks,
ocd

Gee, the way I remember the Kawai RX the lock itself is in the top of the stretcher. This is the wooden bar above the fallboard. It is only the crash plate that is in the top board. You should be able to tighten the screws, and if that does not work, try a thin gauge piece of felt underneath. As far as the fall board attachment goes, I always thought the stem for the lock protruded downwards into a hole in the back of the fallboard. This prevented the fallboard from opening. Maybe I am remembering it wrong there….

www.silverwoodpianos.com

I've ran into the same things on several Kawai grands the have been sold from the dealer I work for. I've had some success with merely taking the key and rapid lock-unlock to make the parts function and move and also a few drops of oil.

I've taken the lock apart before and carefully filled the surrounding areas with cotton too. That works very well. You just have to be careful not to interfere with the working parts. The cotton prevents the rattling parts from rattling against itself or other parts.

Your technician should fix this for you at the next appointment. It would be best for him / her to contact us at Kawai for the recommended method to stop it.

It might even be covered under warranty, if the piano is less than 10 years old.

Under no circumstances should the lock plunger parts be removed from the upper beam (AKA stetcher bar). This will crack the finish, and is not necessary.

Jerry's suggestion is correct - but the cotton can be inserted from below with a little time and patience and the correct procedure - which I would prefer to provide to the technician.