Techs, Help!

I had my new 5'4" grand delivered today and after the movers left I sat down to play and found that none of the pedals work. The Lyre seems to be hooked up but the piano has a constant sustain, the middle pedal only lifts some of the dampers and the left pedal does nothing at all! I called the dealer who stated it's an easy fix. I am a little uncomfortable about this, should I be? Is something broken? Thanks,

Very depressed,
Nick

It may be that the movers mixed up the rods. It should be an easy fix, and the dealer should send someone ASAP.

If the piano has a bass sustain, the middle pedal will only lift the bass dampers. That is normal. If it is a sostenuto pedal, it should not lift any dampers. It should only hold the dampers on the notes where they are already up.

DBD,
Do you think anything is broken? I looked under the piano and it seems together but the left pedal doesn't seem to do anything. The keyboard doesn't move at all, the sustain in the middle only lifts some of the dampers. I know that some lift but those that do aren't next to each other. It seems that every few lift, some do some don't.Also the unicorda lifts all the dampers but when released, the notes are still sustaining.

Thanks,
Nick

What I think does not matter. You need someone there to fix it for you.

BDB,
Thanks for replying. Evidently the keyboard shifted during delivery and was realined properly. Thanks a lot.
NIck

Nick,

The una cora is the left pedal, and unless the keyboard has shifted dramatically, pushing down on it should not affect the dampers whatsoever.

My guess is that the dowel(pitman) that goes between the trap lever (on the body of the piano) and the damper tray has gotten out of alignment and slipped out of the grommeted hole in the tray. There is a pin that should hold it in place.

When it gets out of the hole, oftentimes the pitman will jam the tray upward, which lifts ALL the dampers ALL of the time.

Whatever the problem is, call the store where you bought it and have them send someone out to fix it for you

Funny story...When I was moving pianos years ago, I once delivered a Kawai grand to a wedding ceremony in a beautiful outdoor setting. Unfortunately, I forgot to check the playability of the instrument before leaving the scene. Got a call from a hysterical mother-of-the-bride saying the movers "broke the piano." Fortunately, we had not roamed too far afield and I was able to go back and put things(pitman out of place, wedging all of the dampers off the strings!) to right in a matter of seconds--with an entire wedding audience staring at me like I was the anti-Christ!

Good luck, and I'm sure it's a very minor issue.

Mr. PIanoman,
Thank you for your reply. After solving the problem of sustained notes, it seems now that the sustinuto pedal is still not doing what it is supposed to. I did call the dealer who evidently isn't pleased with me as I've called a thousand times asking several questions. She still hasn' returned my call regarding the middle pedal. Hopefully it too, is a minor fix.
Thaks so very much for you input.


Best Regards,
Nick

Nick,

Are you familiar with how to use a sostenuto? Many people, even excellent pianists, are not. If you've had an upright with a bass sustain pedal, the operation is totally different.

Do this test:
Play a chord, any chord.
Hold it down, then depress the sostenuto pedal. Let go of the notes with your hand while continuing to hold the pedal.
Are those notes that you've played still sustaining while you can play staccato on any other note on the keyboard.
If this is true, then your sostenuto is operating correctly. If not, it probably needs regulation, but frankly, 99% of the people who play piano almost never use the sostenuto pedal!

BTW, what was the problem with the damper pedal?

Mr. "P"
The delivery man who set up the piano came back to the house to check the piano. He took it apart and indicated that the keyboard shifted hanging up the una corda. When he placed the keyboard back in place, the piano una corda pedal seemed to work as when depressed, the keyboard shifts to the right ever so slightly. I think that's normal. I was told that on better pianos you can't really see the keyboard moving over. The sostinuto pedal still doesn't work. I know that when depressed, the bass notes sustain while playing staccato in the upper regester. When depressed nothing happens.
I have a call into the dealer who doesn't seem to ever call me back. She was happy to take my money and couldn't be nicer. Now, I'm feeling a bit uncomfortable with her level of service. I am hopeful that it will be corrected. In the meantime, I can play but afraid to use the pedals as I don't want to damage anything. If the keyboard shifted during transit, is that a serious problem? Can anything have been damaged? I am not a tech and learning bits and pieces thanks to you and the forum. So, if I ask stupid questions, please forgive me. I'll keep you posted on the progress.

Thanks for you time...
Best Regards,
Nick

Oh yes, the damper...The pedal works now as a result of putting the keyboard back in place!

Hi Nick,

Glad to hear the una corda and sustain are working properly now. Now for the sostenuto...

The sostenuto is NOT a bass sustain pedal. It sustains ANY notes you choose, not just the bass notes. But in order to get it to work, you have to use this procedure:

You have to play the notes, hold them with your fingers, then, while holding the notes, push the pedal down. They should sustain when you let go of the keys with your fingers. If they don't, it isn't working correctly and probably needs adjustment.

If you are pushing the pedal down first, then playing bass notes and hoping they sustain, that isn't how the mechanism operates. You have to hold the notes first with your fingers, THEN push the pedal down.

Good luck!

Mr. "P",

Yes ! Thanks for the info. On my spinet, the sostinuto sustained my bass notes while you were able to play lagato on the treble. I understand the pedal more clearly now and thank you very much for your continued reply. I appreciate your time.

Best Regards,
Nick

Mr. "P",
You're the best. Went downstairs and tried several notes bass, treble and did what you stated. IT WORKS!!! Thank you !

Question: Now that all the pedals work, I am hearing some clicking when I depress. What do you think? Simple adjustment?

Best Regards,
Nick

Dave,

I checked out your web page! Do you make house calls to Long Island? :p I read your entire page and it's filled with GREAT information. Thanks a lot for your time Mr."P" !

Nick

Hi Nick,

Thanks for your kind words! Glad to be of help.

The clicking sostenuto is possibly a loose lift rod rattling in the bracket or touching something inside the piano.

If you get a free tuning, mention this to the tech when he comes. Shouldn't be a big deal. If he has a hard time dealing with it, then you should probably consider a different tech for your next tuning...:-)

Sostenuto pedals are actually more annoying than they are useful. They are useful for some impressionist music, though.

Enjoy your piano, and play it alot between now and your first tuning!

Don't you wish it was always this easy, Dave?

Congrats on the RPT status, I might tackle the tuning half this summer.

You could stop by in A2, MI on your way to Long Island...lol

Keith,

Yes, but then we'd want more of a challenge...sometimes! I don't envy you the needle in the Renner "haystack."

Thanks for the congrats. Feels good to get it done, that's for sure. I found the tuning part easier than the technical part, but I'm a musician by nature more than a mechanic.

I think you'll do fine. Just like the technical, the hardest part is the worry leading up to it!

Vogel54,
So sorry for your pedal problem post-delivery. This happens. Movers should check the function before they leave. Sounds like everything is work as it should except the click.
Piannaman is right on with his suggestions.
Vogel is a fine piano and your dealer should respond with prompt post-delivery tuning and check out. A punch list of small issues is common as a new piano settles into your environment.

Hi Marty,
Thanks for the reply.The Vogel is a wonderful piano and I love playing it. The klick can be annoying but I have a tuning in two weeks so I will be sure to have it looked at. Question: what do you suggest for cleaning a high gloss finish? Can I wax it or just use a damp cloth?
Best regards,
Nick

Nick,

I use Cory Products High Gloss Piano Polish. It does a better job than anything I've used. You might be able to find some from a vendor on this site.