mechanical click and quieter note on 200A

[groover]

Hi guys,
I have almost come to the end of my 200A restoration. I just have this one issue. There's a note (A4) that is giving me a mechanical click when i strike it and i believe is the cause of it being a quieter note than the rest. Its on the strike of the note not on release. I have been able to get away with all other restorations without having to pull apart the action assembly from the case. I just thought before i dive into what looks like a pretty intense and fiddly job i would put up an audio example of my issue and see if anyone has any idea of what it might be. I can't physically see anything being struck that could cause this clicking sound, it has nothing to do with the reed that i can see. And its not the damper arm hitting the hum shield. This audio example was recorded with the lid off and without the hum shield on the piano. It sounds to me like something is getting struck internally. If anyone has any ideas i'd love to hear them, even if it gives me an idea of what i'm looking for if i do have to pull apart the whole assembly.

The audio file attached firstly has examples of the mechanical clicking noise with the piano turned off. Then there's an example showing the quieter note compared to the others when struck with the same velocity.
Thanks for any advice

[DocWurly]

I would guess a piece of felt is missing from the inside of the hammer butt assembly, and the fly is hitting bare wood instead. As a result, the hammer isn't moving correctly and you are hearing the click of wood against wood.

[groover]

Thanks for your response. Ok that makes sense. Looks like i'm going to have to pull the whole action assembly apart to get to this key's mechanism to glue in a new piece of felt. Damn, the whole piano is perfect except for this one key issue. I'm a little scared that while attempting to dismantle the whole piano i might cause some other issue. At the moment everything is great, the action, the tuning, the electronics, i have no noise, everything works. I guess i'll just wait until it really bugs me (though it kinda bugs me now cause i've come this far). Thanks for your help.

[DocWurly]

You may be able to pull out just that hammer, or maybe a couple hammers.  Try unscrewing the hammer, turning it sideways, and pulling out. Notice which way you turn it..... sometimes it comes out easier in one direction than the other.

If you find you can't get it out, or back in... yeah, you might have to take out the whole action.  Not a bad thing to know how to do, anyway.  You would need a very long narrow Phillips head screwdriver to do it.  It's explained in the manual.

[pianotuner steveo]

Guys, always check for simpler things first.

Clicks in piano actions are usually caused by:

1. Loose flange screws- hammer or whip. ( In a Rhodes, it could also be broken plastic flange pins )

2. Loose glue joints (I.E. Loose hammer head) pretty rare in a Wurlitzer, but possible.

3. Missing felt

( in that order)

The hammer could be letting off too early also, which can cause it to be quieter.

It would be pretty rare for a piece of felt to be missing from in there, but it is possible.

[groover]

Thanks Steveo, looking for the simplest cause and solution was precisely my reason for posting my issue here before ripping the whole piano apart.

In regards to your first suggestion..

Are these things i can check and correct without pulling apart the whole assembly? I see in the manual there's a whip flange and a butt flange, both with screws. I assume these are the ones you mean.

Not sure how to tighten the whip (if its the problem), maybe via the capstan screw?

And with the let off of the hammer (if that's early and causing a quieter note) i assume i adjust that with the regulating (let off) screw. Can that be adjusted without pulling apart the whole assembly? Looking at the pic in the manual it looks like its possible. I have bought a capstan wrench from VV which i'm assuming would fit the let off screw as well as the capstan screw?

Thanks for your help

[DocWurly]

That's a pretty dramatic, loud click, and it sounds a lot to me like instances when a felt has come unglued.

I'd open the lid and observe the hammer first. is any component of the action obviously doing anything different than its neighbors?

[groover]

Just had a good look and noticed the hammer is not dropping as much as other hammers after striking the reed. Its sitting higher after strike when key is depressed. Is that indicative of a certain issue?

[groover]

Hey i've found the solution!!!!! After close inspection of those areas suggested i noticed that the butt flange screw was loose. I got a screwdriver in there and tightened it and she's all good now. Click has gone and i'm getting a good clean loud note. Thanks to all suggestions, i'm very happy right now. The hammers still not falling as much as the other hammers after strike (in stop lock position) but it doesn't seem to cause any issues that i can see at this stage so i'm not worried about it.
Thanks again guys

[pianotuner steveo]

90% of the time, clicks are caused by loose flange screws. I'm glad you found it before I could reply again. Felt falling off at the hammer butt is common in upright acoustic pianos, but I've never seen it fall off in this spot on a Wurlitzer.

The capstan does not have anything to do with that. The lower capstan in the back (that touches the key) raises and lowers the whip height for lost motion adjustment. The whip screw is on the back side- harder to get to.

The upper capstan is for let off. You do not have to remove anything other than the amp board and hum shield. There is a far better tool for this sold on eBay. The tool VV sells is long and flat, and the steel is not as hard, so the end tends to get chewed up. A lot of people complain about this tool.

As far as the hammer not falling back as far, does it also sit higher at rest? If so, try lowering the capstan at the back of the key. ( it's upside down, so actually raise it, but it lowers the whip)

[pgroff]

Almost on-topic here: I'll chime in that I just received that capstan tool, purchased from a reliable ebay seller - great service too.

[pianotuner steveo]

Wow, gee I wonder who that is???

[groover]

Thanks again for all that info Steveo. The hammer is sitting the same as the others at rest, and honestly it doesn't seem to have any effect on the action so i'm not bothered by it now i know its not connected to or the cause of my previous issue.
Cheers

[pianotuner steveo]

It's pretty normal in any Wurlitzer action to have some hammers not drop as much as the others. If it doesn't effect the touch, then it's nothing to be concerned with. EPs don't have as many adjustments available as acoustics. Grand pianos actually have an adjustment just for hammer drop.

[rrgrr]

Wow, gee I wonder who that is???

OT, but I need to get that wrench, got a link?

[pianotuner steveo]

Just search for "Wurlitzer tool " on eBay and make sure you click on the correct one...

[rrgrr]

That's what my wife calls me

[pianotuner steveo]

Hahaha. My wife calls me worse.