Dear pianoexpert, I am the owner of a Yamaha B1 upright piano that my son Christian uses to study the instrument; in fact, I will take advantage of your kindness and expertise to get some tips regarding the 5th-year exam my son must face this year in Milan.
Now returning to the topic of maintenance... how can I, on my own and without fear of damaging anything, address various creaks resulting from the operation of the sustain pedal, which has been occurring on this side for a while; for example, how to clean the cabinet and the back part where dust inevitably settles... etc. etc..
A big thank you and compliments for your website and blog.
I am responding to Saverio regarding the pedal squeaks. You need to open the bottom panel, below the keyboard, and follow "the path" of the pedal lever. Start from the bottom, right at the pedal. It takes a lifetime of adjustment. Then a wooden rod held by a U-shaped spring begins. The horizontal lever makes contact with a vertical one that transmits the movement upwards. Therefore, also open the upper panel and look to the left. Finally, the rod, almost always round in section, lifts the damper mechanism, but passes through a guide hole (which might not be felted).
All these points should be inspected and lubricated with DRY teflon spray, which can be purchased at a well-stocked hardware store. Do not use greasy lubricants!!!!
If the noise does not disappear, then it depends precisely on the horizontal metal rod that lifts all the dampers at the back of the mechanism. It is unlikely, but if that were the case, TEFLON can be sprayed easily by removing the mechanism and reaching the back where the felt of the damper rods comes into contact with it. You absolutely must not disassemble anything. However, it can be difficult to put the mechanism back in place. Be careful with the dampers of the strings near their crossing point. Be careful not to damage them when reassembling!!!
Another difficulty could be reinserting the pin of the last vertical rod into the hole of the horizontal metal one, once the mechanism has been reassembled.
Naturally, if all this seems complicated, it is better to wait for a technician who, on the occasion of a tuning, can easily and, I hope, for free, intervene.... but check that they do not use greasy lubricants. Powdered graphite (white or black) and spray are also excellent.
Good luck and thank you for your attention to my Tutorials.
