Is there a device one can afix to a piano so that the damper (soft) pedal can be turned off and on, without depressing the pedal with your foot?

A golfball looks stupid and I like to practice when my family sleeps (if you want more particulars).

The damper pedal is one, soft pedal is another. I assume you are talking about the soft, on the left. Is it a grand or upright. How many pedals?

Apple, you can wedge a rubber tuning mute underneath the back end of the pedal where it extends out from the lyre. Or fold up a few thicknesses of cardboard cut into half inch by three inch strips to put in if you don't have a mute.

I guess I'm not up on my pedal names.. (the one on the left)
I was hoping someone would invent one and send me a prototype which I'd test over the long haul for free.

Una corda = left

the back end of the pedal mechanism has a 7/16ths opening..Would the pedal wedge be narrow enough to fit in there? What about a good eraser?

Also - how bad are the long term effects of having the una corda engaged say, 30% of the time? Would the hammers notice?

Apple, a large eraser. The effects would be same as those of a person that uses the una corda a lot. Just routine touch-up voicing would be needed after a while.

found a lego on the floor that seems to be perfect

Paint the leggo the same color as your piano. Start a trend. Piano Accessories R Us.

they come in black

Almost the same answer to a similar question on another forum, that if volume is a problem because of a small space then you can get a Grand Mute Rail made by QRS see www.qrsmusic.com and call a piano tech who can get and fit it. Cost about $240.

Aardappel - potato in Afrikaans

Don't they make some sort of "quiet time" bar for grands you can have installed? I can certainly see where you'd make good use of it with a busy family and your best practice time when you get them all settled down sleeping. I vaguely remember seeing something like that for a couple of hundred plus installation, which sounded simple enough.

[Edit: Just what I was thinking and typing right when you were posting, Brian. Glad to know my memory's not entirely faulty.]

Apple, you could check out the cost of an after-market "muting" rail which places a fabric between the hammers and the strings when engaged.

I know I've seen at least one where the operating lever was on the left side of the piano rather than down on the lyre.

I called MidAmerica pianos about this once, and the rough ballpark figure for purchase and installation was between $400 and $500, with the caution that it was a "bit more" tricky to put one on a grand than an upright. I have no idea how that compares with other dealers.

BUT .... you have contacts![/b]:

If you asked him real nice, I'm sure Philythy-Rich would drive one out to you the next time he comes out to do one of his 15 free tunings. I'm sure he'd like to see how his 250hp Magnum Roadster/bottle handles on the open road, anyway. Jim Miller could offer his craftsman-like genius and might get kenny to drive him in from the West coast in his Mileage-Mobile to knock the transportation costs down from say $437 to $6.85 or so. CJQ could hone his cinematographic skills by taping close ups of your floorboards, if the Magnum-Mobile can accommodate two. (or if he and Rich get along really well. )

Or maybe its

$ $ ergo the lego

I can get you a gross of soft earplugs for like 5 cents apiece, though.

Bob

[close-order edit drill required here, it seems:]
I'm happy to hear a tech knows of a lower price. I thought half a grand was pretty high, and perhaps my memory was a bit fuzzy on my price, as I heard it some time ago.

Re installation damage to piano: I believe the side mounted lever system required one hole (less than 1 inch diameter, maybe as small as 1/2 inch) be drilled the left side of the rim. I'm not sure how the other end was supported, but I'm guessing a bushing is screwed to the inside of the rim on the right side of the piano.)
Maybe the techs could belay your fears a bit with more details.

the lego works great bob....