Kawai K5 bouncing Hammers

DMathew · Post by **DMathew** » 16 Nov 2008, 19:11

I recieved my K-5 today....

. I do love the piano sounds as it did in the shop. But .......

Just want to know if hearing the notes repeating when they are played very very slowly is normal.

I am very much the beginner and as I was reading a piece and playing VERY gently (early stages of learning to read music) I notice that the key feels like its bouncing and can hear the strings being struck once again. I can see this happen when i look at the hammers hitting the strings. This only occurs when i play very gently and across all the keys. As i am very new to all this I do not know is this normal of all upright pianos? If it is something wrong can it be fixed?

Could anyone advise. It's probably nothing and the norm for all pianos but having just bought the piano want to get these things ironed out early.
Thanks
Dave

PianoGuy · Post by **PianoGuy** » 16 Nov 2008, 20:06

DMathew wrote:I recieved my K-5 today.... . I do love the piano sounds as it did in the shop. But .......

Just want to know if hearing the notes repeating when they are played very very slowly is normal.

No. This fault should be easily rectifiable though. Contact the dealer asap and get him to send a technician round.

DMathew · Post by **DMathew** » 16 Nov 2008, 20:14

Thank you
I'll be in touch with the dealer tomorrow.

pianotechman · Post by **pianotechman** » 17 Nov 2008, 09:22

We used to call the fault 'blubbering', i don't know if that's the universal term in the trade for a hammer that does not go into 'check properly'. A tech should be able to sort it out easily, especially if it's a new instrument!

DMathew · Post by **DMathew** » 17 Nov 2008, 15:54

The shop dealer is the technitian himself. He mentioned 2 ways in which it can be fixed. Either tightening the springs or to move the board further away from the strings so that the striking mechanism can complete its cycle more easily.

He seemed to indicate the moving of the board may affect the touch of the piano.

Any advise on what to ask him to do

Dave

sussexpianos · Post by **sussexpianos** » 17 Nov 2008, 18:47

I must have gone to sleep for 40 years and awoke in a time when pianos are made differently !
Springs? Board? What on earth? Am I missing something?
Back in my time this was bad regulation mostly due to the jack not having enough escapment and thus bouncing hammers on the jack. Solved easily by regulation and making sure there is enough depth of touch in the keys so that the jack escapes. Too much escapement can lead to poor repetition.

Post by **vernon** » 17 Nov 2008, 19:27

Like Sussex Pianos I've no clue as to what your "tech" is on about.
On a piano,blubbering is likely to be caused either by the touch being wrong(too shallow), the set off too late, the checks wrong,or the slap rail set too far in so the jacks can't escape properly. Bear in mind the latter is often warped so it may be ok in places!
As it's a new piano it's a regulating fault and needs fixed,as we say in the Far North

DMathew · Post by **DMathew** » 17 Nov 2008, 19:52

thanks for the advise. I'll keep you all posted. he's going to fix it later this week. Taking some component away to do the work and returning it the following day.
Still enjoying it even with the fault. Been looking forward to this piano too long to wait.
Dave

mdw · Post by **mdw** » 17 Nov 2008, 20:12

DMathew wrote: Taking some component away to do the work and returning it the following day.

Dave

To do the regulation mentioned you need it all in the piano.

sussexpianos · Post by **sussexpianos** » 17 Nov 2008, 20:24

Taking what away? This gets better. Its like one of those murder mysteries but with pianos. Which bit I would wonder.this work requires the piano and all of its componants.
When the tech does come, please ask him to ping the tail on the donkey as he sounds like he likes games.

DMathew · Post by **DMathew** » 17 Nov 2008, 20:29

Getting worried about what he's going to do to the piano. He did come across as knowing what he was doing.

I'm tempted to find another tech even though it means paying separately for it.
Dave

PianoGuy · Post by **PianoGuy** » 17 Nov 2008, 20:35

sussexpianos wrote:Taking what away? This gets better. Its like one of those murder mysteries but with pianos. Which bit I would wonder.this work requires the piano and all of its componants.
When the tech does come, please ask him to ping the tail on the donkey as he sounds like he likes games.

It certainly sounds a bit strange. I would have thought he's best doing it with a bit of knowledge and the piano in front of him in your house! Even the tools required would fit into one hand, or their handles would at any rate, so no need to transport anything away......

Brumtuner · Post by **Brumtuner** » 17 Nov 2008, 21:10

Perhaps he took the blubber rail away for resetting. I usually charge about 350 quid for this service.

Ok, ok, just kidding, I only charge 250.

Post by **vernon** » 17 Nov 2008, 23:20

he's probably taking the action away to " tighten the springs and move the board back!" ( see original enquiry)
I wouldn't let him near it and certainly not let him take anything away.
It sounds as tho' something is very wrong.
Kawais come in with excellent regulation.

PianoGuy · Post by **PianoGuy** » 18 Nov 2008, 00:36

vernon wrote: Kawais come in with excellent regulation.

Very true.

Could be excessive damp in the current location. That's a good one for creating bouncing hammers.

DMathew · Post by **DMathew** » 18 Nov 2008, 01:17

I'm seriously worried now. From the sounds of it, the piano itself may be a dud.

Is this likely??

Thinking of asking for a new piano. hoping he will accept that.
Wish I knew enough to discern the problem before I put my money down.

PianoGuy · Post by **PianoGuy** » 18 Nov 2008, 08:25

DMathew wrote:I'm seriously worried now. From the sounds of it, the piano itself may be a dud.
Is this likely??

Relax!

It really shouldn't be that serious a problem to sort out!
Ignore the couple of joke comments on here!

If all fails, I'm sure many of us here know Neil the Kawai rep, so we'll send in the big guns for you if your dealer turns out to be less than effective.

sussexpianos · Post by **sussexpianos** » 19 Nov 2008, 19:40

Its not the piano which sounds dud

The K5 is a lovely piano and plays very well due to the Carbon action etc. They are set up pretty well by the Kawai techs in Milton Keynes( Kawai UK, not Kemble if thats what you were thinking) but just might need a little bit more attention by the expert dealer

or any piano technician. I sometimes don't notice this problem as Im a bit heavy handed. Should only take upto an hour to sort out.

Post by **vernon** » 19 Nov 2008, 19:51

sussex
I'm v worried about the dealer/technician.
Is he going to start turning things and adjusting some of those little nobby bits.
It could be that DMathew has a very light touch in which case the adjustment will be minimal and not require disembowelling the whole machine and removing it to some torture chamber to have it's" springs tightened and the board moved!"

DMathew · Post by **DMathew** » 20 Nov 2008, 22:27

The tech was in today. He replaced the Kawai Action bar in the piano. And checked it through. I don't feel the blubbering unless I half press the keys. I had to try hard to make it happen

The touch of the piano overall feels lighter. (i like this

). The tech said he will be in touch with the kawai technician in the morning to check on the piano if i'm still not happy.

No moving of the board was mentioned. But he did say something about changing the regulation if necessary.

I'm happy. He's promised to help if I feel theres still a problem.

Post by **Barrie Heaton** » 20 Nov 2008, 23:38

DMathew wrote:The tech was in today. He replaced the Kawai Action bar in the piano. And checked it through. I don't feel the blubbering unless I half press the keys. I had to try hard to make it happen

it maybe just a Terminology problem as in
we say set off and the Yanks say let off

Do we mean the damper slap rail if that was warped it can cause the hammers to bounce if it stopping the dampers at the end of play

Barrie,

Post by **vernon** » 20 Nov 2008, 23:49

what's a "kawai action bar?"

Brumtuner · Post by **Brumtuner** » 21 Nov 2008, 01:05

"what's a "kawai action bar?"

It's where the Kawai factory workers pop in after their shift for....

.... well, some 'action'.

DMathew · Post by **DMathew** » 21 Nov 2008, 01:11

as you have all gathered I haven't the slightest idea about the makings of the piano.

damper slap rail sounds about right to me.

All i know is it's working

sussexpianos · Post by **sussexpianos** » 21 Nov 2008, 15:20

Im glad it works now.
Im off to the action bar, anyone for a drink?

Brumtuner · Post by **Brumtuner** » 21 Nov 2008, 19:03

"anyone for a drink?"

I'll set-off by rail, soon.

djtoast · Post by **djtoast** » 22 Nov 2008, 13:11

Barrie Heaton wrote: it maybe just a Terminology problem as in
we say set off and the Yanks say let off

"let off" means something else where I live

sussexpianos · Post by **sussexpianos** » 22 Nov 2008, 13:55

LOL nice one Brum. I was going to type something else but thought I couln't match it

[/quote]

Post by **Barrie Heaton** » 22 Nov 2008, 14:10

djtoast wrote:
Barrie Heaton wrote: it maybe just a Terminology problem as in
we say set off and the Yanks say let off
"let off" means something else where I live

Must be sexual then !

Barrie

Brumtuner · Post by **Brumtuner** » 22 Nov 2008, 18:41

'Let off' - Sexual?

You must have a very broad-minded missus.

Post by **vernon** » 22 Nov 2008, 23:04

I think Barrie must have a half-blow in mind

Brumtuner · Post by **Brumtuner** » 22 Nov 2008, 23:35

Along with a sluggish action?

PianoGuy · Post by **PianoGuy** » 23 Nov 2008, 12:06

vernon wrote:I think Barrie must have a half-blow in mind

Ba dum tish!

"My name's Vern, aah'll be here aal week...."

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