Nordiska piano action

Have been lurking here for a little while and enjoy the posts I've read so far. I was hoping for some info & assistance. Back in June I bought a new Nordiska Classica upright. Have been playing for about 30 yrs and this is the first time I've ever been able to purchase a brand new piano. Beautiful instrument & great tone.

Only thing is that I've been having a hell of a time with the action on this piano. I knew it would take a while for the tuning to stabilize, but had no idea I'd be removing & replacing pins on the wippens so often. It's driving me crazy...so many stuck notes it's unbelievable. Every time I turn around, the action is coming back out & being reworked.

Is this normal for a new piano? A definite contributing factor is my playing style...lots of Joplin, Beethoven, and Chopin. Have to admit that I do play a bit too hard, but that's the only way I've ever played.

It does have a factory warranty, but there have been so many sticking notes that I've taken to replacing pins myself. The other alternative would be to have a technician come to the house at least once or twice a week...it's that bad. Now some of the wippens are really getting too loose from being worked with more than I feel comfortable...and notes are still sticking (or keys are sluggish).

Another question is this: Are wippens & other action parts fairly standardized among manufacturers? I've seen some sites on the Internet selling spare parts and am wondering about compatibility issues. (Have not been able to find any spare parts specifically for Nordiska yet.)

Or is it possible that I happened to have bought a lemon? If I had realized that an extended break-in period would be required for a new piano, or that I would have to greatly tone down my playing style, I think I would have bought something used instead...but I do love this instrument (and besides, it's a little late now). I am concerned that with some of the repairs I have made myself, the warranty might be voided. I don't remember seeing anything in writing about this, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was the case (but I hope not).

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

John C.

Good grief! You shouldn't have to replace center pins on a new piano! What do you mean by 'stuck notes'? There can be many causes. Have you applied lubricants of any kind? What's the environment around the piano: temperature, humidity, sunlight? Any changes during the week?

I work a lot on their 'sister' pianos, Hallett & Davis. I believe they should have the same action parts.

I'm assuming you are talking about flange pins 'walking' out of wippen flanges. This is something that might be experienced with time and 'mileage' with any number of pianos brands, including high quality. However, to have it happen so soon after buying it is pretty unusual. I don't think I have had any yet in a Hallet & Davis.

If you are talking about the same couple pins walking out over and over, that is one thing and it can be dealt with by putting in slightly larger pins that will be held more snugly in their wooden holes or simply replacing the wippen. But if you are talking about many different pins walking out , the situation requires some serious consideration, I think.

There are a few possible reasons this is happening, and probably a couple I am not even thinking about. A simple possible explanation is that they slightly undersized the pins. Another is that the wood was too 'green' and has shrunk back, or they mis-sized the holes.

Another contributing factor is the hours and intensity of usage. Although I like many of the inexpensive pianos in their price range, there are some sacrifices in quality- though not as many sacrifices as the ubiquitous American spinets or compact consoles of yesteryear. The factories of the least expensive pianos (such as Chinese) do not neccessarily have the best control over their materials and tolerances. While I do recommend such pianos in the average home where little Jennifer or Johnny are starting their lessons, I would not recommend them for serious, accomplished players who will be giving them lots of hard use. They just aren't made for that- but perform well in light usage such as in the vast majority of homes.

So overall, I would say that if it's the same couple pins walking out, go for a more permanent repair than just pushing the old pin back in place, and maybe that will be the end of it. But if it's a global problem, I would give serious consideration to either swapping the piano for another under warranty (with the stipulation that if the same thing occurs again you can trade up without losing what you paid already) or just trading up for a more professional piano. Leave the beginner pianos to the beginners.

Regards,

Rick Clark

That's what I've been thinking all along as well, but since this is my first experience with a new piano, I'm stumped.

What

By stuck notes, I meant keys that become sluggish & hammers that won't quite return to position after striking the string. Then when I try to hit the key again, it barely works & may not actually strike the string at all. Haven't attempted lubricants yet because I wasn't sure exactly what to use on the wood & I don't want to make it worse.

Regarding the environment, I live in S. Florida where it does get pretty humid, but we keep the A/C on in the house on a regular basis. Temp in the house is kept fairly regulated so, although it may be possible, I doubt humidity is a really big problem. But since you brought it up, I think I'll invest in a dehumidifier just to be on the safe side. For the first few months after I bought it, the piano faced an inner wall but has been up against a window for a couple months now. It faces north so there is no direct sunlight on the back of the piano.

Also received some helpful suggestions from Rick Clark's post as well. I appreciate both of your responses.

I read somewhere that the grands weren't built in the same factory. Is the quality better with the grands?

Many of us would like to have something other than a beginner piano. Unfortunately, professional pianos (I'm still not quite sure what that means) often come with a professional price tag. And most of the used pianos I've seen in the same price range as a Chinese 'beginner' piano look and feel pretty ragged out.

John,

So the actual problem is the flange bushings are too tight. I've had this problem from time to time in various brands. Sometimes it is just that for some reason they fudged something in the factory. Could be the size of the pin, the drilling of the holes in the flanges, or using bushing felt that is a bit too thick. Maybe some other possibilities. (Let me also mention that if on an outside chance you are in an extremely humid climate, that can cause it, too. That would make it more an issue requiring dehumidification.)

So forget what I said about heavy use when I thought it was pins walking out.

I don't think anyone could say that even rigorous playing is a *cause* of too tight bushings. I think that it has been reasonable for them to send a tech out for the offending notes, as they had no idea the problem was going to turn out to be global. But since it is now looking like a global problem, you should go ahead and begin dialogue with whoever services the warranty. Perhaps the dealer has been doing it on HIS dime, but maybe it's a bigger issue than that and maybe Nordiska will need to be called in for participation. Perhaps it would be best to swap out actions, or replace all offending parts at once rather than sending a tech out for each separate complaint. Or maybe just swap the piano. I really can't say. Usually they want the customer to be satisfied. But you've got to be the one to start the conversation and plant the idea that maybe something more than what has been done in the past is called for. Nordiska is hardly a fly-by-night company, I'm sure they will want to see the situation resolved to your satisfaction.

Regards,

Rick Clark

Yes, don't apply lubricants. The wrong stuff can give the same symptoms: works for a while, then gets sluggish again. Greasy stuff attracts dirt.

Pianos like 42% relative humidity, constantly. This is hard to achieve in most home environments, especially in such a way as to reach the action in a grand. Check out this site, and ask around for someone who could install such a system for you.

Really appreciate all the info you provided. I'm thinking the first step may be to try out a Dampp-Chaser or something equivalent, try this for awhile and go from there. At first I didn't really think this was the major contributing factor, but the more I read about it in other threads, the more it seems to be a definite possibility.

While the problem you describe is most commonly humidity related, I have never seen it as prevalent as you describe in a new piano. The problem in trying the obvious damp chaser solution is that may be postponing the inevitable to a point where the dealer will be less amenable to repairs. The humidity problem is common to your geographic area, so the dealer should be fully aware of it. I would suggest contacting the dealer first and see if HE wants to try installing a damp chaser. That keeps him aware that it is an initial warranty problem, and not some issue that comes up later.

I don't believe that Nordiska markets a grand, but I could be mistaken. It doesn't cost all that much more for a Korean piano, and the difference in quality is astounding.

John C,

So you *are* in an extremely humid climate?? That could explain a lot.

Put in a 50 watt 48' 'wall to wall' rod and a humidistat. Give it 6-8 weeks to do it's job. If that's not the problem and you end up trading the piano in or something, you can take the system out and re-use it in the new piano, no problem. In a humid climate thet have many benefits beyond sticky notes.

Regards,

Rick Clark