[CAUT] Steinway hammers with pre-voicing solution

[Tim Geinert, R.P.T.]

What I described in my last post was what I saw at the factory when I was 
there for the 1st of their series of classes (I think it is called 
"comprehensive piano service") in January of 2001.    For what it's worth, 
we spent a lot of time touring the factory.  It was fascinating, and I would 
go again if I got the chance, but I expected more time working on pianos.

This is what happened.  We were walking through the hammer section of the 
action department; presses, tapering, boring, etc., when we came to a 
station where a fellow was holding a card (I say card, but I presume it was 
something more permanent than paper) over the hammers he had clamped up, and 
was applying lacquer from a squeeze bottle.  I don't recall if it was a set 
or a  section.  I remember that the information on the card was both graphic 
and text.  I asked what was happening there, and the answer was what lead me 
to write the following post.

>>  At the factory, they have a template for each model's set of hammers, 
>> and
>> after the set is cut and preshaped, they are then lined up, and lacquered 
>> as
>> per the guide on the template.  As I recall, the entire set does not
>> necessarily get juiced, and each section that does get juiced is not
>> necessarily soaked, only as the template dictates, and it's different for
>> each model.  All the hammers go through this step, the same as any step 
>> in
>> the process.  Their goal, as I understand it, is just to get the hammers
>> headed in the right direction, not make them hard.

That particular set of hammers he had there was for a B.  I really did 
understand that this was standard procedure for all the sets of hammers 
produced.

All that being said,  I recognize that I may not have gotten the whole 
story, or a complete understanding,  in the time I spent at the station.  It 
is also possible that they do not have an obligation to tell us everything 
about what they are doing, and maybe that is why it is so difficult to get 
consistent answers from the various people we have contact with.  That has 
been my experience and is also reflected in all the posts to this thread. 
It is interesting, though, that not everyone there gives the same answers, 
considering that they say they never really change anything at the factory, 
or if they do, it takes forever.  Almost like they need a special 
dispensation from the Pope to change anything.

I have been told over and over again that excatly the same parts get boxed 
and sent to Shannon as get sent to the factory, which is why we cannot buy 
anything but current production from them no matter what our needs.  For 
that reason I have not ordered hammers from them for 3 years or so, because 
I had committed (or should have been committed) to hang a set of hammers on 
old 15.5 mm pin to knuckle shanks and needed lighter hammers for that 
application.  I was able to work  through and get what I needed from Ray at 
Ronsen, and have not had a reason to buy hammers from anyone else since.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!!  (sort of)

TG


 ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Fred Sturm" <fssturm@unm.edu>
To: "College and University Technicians" <caut@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, May 13, 2005 2:05 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Steinway hammers with pre-voicing solution


> On 5/12/05 8:31 PM, "Tim Geinert, R.P.T." <geinert@drtel.net> wrote:
>
>>  I would expect them to
>> sound mellow, and they are, even with all of them receiving this 
>> pre-voicing
>> juicing.
>> Tim G.
>    I'm very curious as to the source of this information
> (templates/lacquering in the factory). Did you actually see this? If so,
> when? If not, who told you this was so?
>    I hung a new set last summer on a B. Dead as a doornail (or
> hyoer-mellow, depending how you want to describe it). I have two brand new
> sets in the shop right now, one installed, the other in the box. The 
> pianos
> are out being strung, so I can't readily check tone quality, but I would
> swear they are virgin felt. No visual sign of lacquer. Though water-white
> can be hard to see, you can usually tell. They feel like un-doped felt.
> Stroking around the surface, the fibers are soft and yielding. Squeezing
> pressure feels quite soft and compressible. Feeling the corners, they have
> no sharp edges. I have felt and examined lots of lacquered hammers, and am
> pretty sure I would know the difference.
>    Everything I have ever heard from Eric Schandall, Kent Webb and John
> Patton has indicated that hammers sold by Steinway to technicians are
> un-lacquered. Eric clarifies by mentioning the dipping of the corners for
> gluing purposes, saying that's all the lacquer the factory puts in.
>    So I'm very puzzled when I hear different from various sources. Has
> anyone purchased and installed a set that were obviously bright and hard 
> out
> of the box? Who precisely says that hammers from Steinway are 
> pre-lacquered
> (or can be on request)?
>    I'm not meaning to be argumentative, just want to know hard facts,
> whatever they may be.
> Regards,
> Fred Sturm
> University of New Mexico
>
>
>
>
>
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