Rhodes issue (with sound clip)

[DarrenJones]

Hey all,

First off, I've learned so much from the years and years of posts in this forum, so thank you all for the education.  I've managed to get my 1972 Stage Mark 1 (with a 1980 harp) into much better shape with all the tips I've picked up here.   

Moving on, I have an issue with several of my lowest keys.  The tines respond with a kind of clang when struck.  It is particularly bad on a few keys.  I've adjusted escapement (via screw) and voicing, but not improved the sound.  I've even pulled the tine out and realigned them with the tone bars, which didn't help. 

Here is a recording:  https://soundcloud.com/user1444781/rhodes-issues/s-yWc1B  -- the issue is more noticeable when I play softly, so that's mostly what is heard in this recording.

Is this a problem with tine oscillation which would be fixed by stronger springs under the escapement screw?  Or is this a damper issue?  Thanks in advance for any insight!

[spradders]

Hi - soundcloud error: "This track was not found. Maybe it has been removed"

[pianotuner steveo]

Yeah, there is no sound clip.
Maybe it's the damper (metal) clanking against the hammer "shank"?

[DarrenJones]

Sorry, the link is fixed now.  Here's the working link:

https://soundcloud.com/user1444781/rhodes-issues/s-yWc1B

[groovemonkey73]

What are the tone bar grommets like? Could the metal of the screws/washers be rattling in the tonebar if the grommets are worn/perished? Would explain why you can hear it more at lower velocity strikes as the barking of harder strikes may mask it?

If there is any tine oscilation, this is usually because its too close to the pickup.

[DarrenJones]

The grommets were changed out 5 years ago and they appear to still be in good shape.  I'll open the piano up and see if the pickups are too close.  I recently moved the pickups closer to the tines overall and the sound improved quite a bit, but I believe the oscillations were happening before I moved them. 

[groovemonkey73]

Hmm, OK.

As the grommets are OK, and you've moved the pickups closer to improve the sound, you may need tine stabilsers to stop them from oscillating/wavering.

https://www.electrickeys.co.uk/collections/fender-rhodes-tines-tone-bars/products/fender-rhodes-custom-tine-stabiliser

According to factory specs the pickups should be between 1.5mm & 3.1mm (approx) away from the end of the tine.

[spradders]

I wonder if it could be that your tine is touching the damper felt when it is first struck, which could cause an odd sounding harmonic (the 'metallic' sound you hear).  I'm not sure about this, but it would explain why you don't hear it when pushing down the felt manually. You could try adding a couple of mm bend to the end of a couple of damper arms and see if the problem goes away.  I would expect raising the harp by a few mm would help too, although that could cause other issues.

[pianotuner steveo]

I've heard this sound in many pianos, but don't remember the solution. It may be a voicing issue. What are the hammer tips like? Are they worn and hardened?

[DarrenJones]

As the grommets are OK, and you've moved the pickups closer to improve the sound, you may need tine stabilsers to stop them from oscillating/wavering.

This might be the culprit.  I've ordered some stabilizers from Vintage Vibe with fingers crossed.  Thanks!

Spradders:  it appears that the dampers are clear from the tine when it is struck.  Judging from these photos, new hammer tips might help my overall sound, but I don't know if it will solve this issue. 

Here is a picture of the hammer tips, most of them have tiny grooves in them:
https://i.imgur.com/Uf3uYCj.jpg

and a picture of the hammers and dampers:
https://i.imgur.com/o2shKDT.jpg

Thanks all for your input!

[spradders]

Your bridle straps look quite tight

[Jenzz]

Hi .-)

This the typical sound of hardened grommets + and a slightly off-set striking line or too hard hammertip. Move the harp back and forth, there will be a point were the 'zing' will reduce to an acceptable level...

Jenzz

[DarrenJones]

This the typical sound of hardened grommets + and a slightly off-set striking line or too hard hammertip. Move the harp back and forth, there will be a point were the 'zing' will reduce to an acceptable level...

I believe the grommets are ~5 years old and in decent shape.  I just tried to adjust the strike line but found no improvement in the problem area.  It might be my hammer tips as they are a bit worn.

[Student Rhodes]

Has the outermost surface of the hammer tip rubber gotten hard and crystalized?
If so, you can get some more mileage and better tone by trimming the tip back to fresh, soft, rubber w/a razor.   
I suppose this may affect your escapement slightly, but I haven't had a problem with it.
Ray

[DarrenJones]

I have replaced hammer tips in this area and while it has helped the tone a bit, it has not fixed the issue.  I have narrowed it down to the damper arms, and Chris Carroll saw a clip I posted on Facebook and said that it is specifically due to weak damper arms, which apparently happens a lot to older pianos. 

I've ordered some new damper arms and felts and am hopeful this will clean up the clangy noisy low end section on my piano. 

Thanks everyone for helping me chase down this issue!