At 05:26 PM 5/21/2005 -0700, you wrote: >The interesting question here to me is the effectiveness of fabric >softener as a voicing tool. Is it possible that it could be effective, if >used intelligently, minus all the steaming, burning, etc.? It's sticky, smelly goop, and once it gets into a hammer there's no getting it out. I believe that the intelligent attitude toward Downy is to leave it on the grocery store shelf. Vodka, shellac, careful use of a hammer file and needles, and possibly lacquer on a new set of hammers can do anything we need to do, IMHO. Maybe a little squeezing of the shoulders as well ... Vodka and shellac both have several very good properties. They are basic uncomplicated materials, nontoxic. The vodka dries out and leaves nothing behind except fluffier felt. The shellac gives some brightness, without that keytop brittle sound, and as the piano is played hard, the shellac shatters and the tone gets mellower instead of harsher. Shellac also dissolves readily in alcohol, so I imagine it is easier to wet it with alcohol and sop it up if one wishes to remove some of it. I've never had to. It is possible to overdo the vodka, with results similar to over-steaming, but compared to Downy, it's a miraculously benign voicing tool. Susan Kline
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC