[CAUT] Hammer wear

[Mark Cramer]

Are there any generic (cold-pressed/soft-pressed/perma-pressed?) hammers
available (require lacquer to develop tone) for use on other brands of
pianos?

Steinways are made for Steinways, and don't seem to offer the range of
weights and molding lengths for custom work with other brands.

How are the Ronson Bacons? (harder or softer than the Wurzens?)

thanks,
Mark Cramer,
Brandon University

PS I've found that Steinways outlast compression type hammers as well,
though I think "playing-in" Steinways is a myth.

They simply require lacquer to develop tone, then you can get a very wide
range, including mellow and warm, without the "dull."

To quote a client left to "play in" new Steinways for some nine years,
"there are no @$^%@^$ grooves in the @#$^@%$ hammers, the grooves are all in
my #@Q$%@^# wrists!"






  -----Original Message-----
  From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org]On Behalf Of
Wolfley, Eric (wolfleel)
  Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 8:48 AM
  To: College and University Technicians
  Subject: Re: [CAUT] Hammer wear


  David,



  Did you put Wurtzens on your Steinways?



  Our Steinway hammers wear fast here as well but it is because they are
played significantly more hours than any others. We have 5 Steinway L’s in
our locked piano major rooms and those rooms are never vacant. Unless you
monitor the hours the pianos are being played I don’t think it is a fair
comparison. My experience with the NY Steinway hammers is that they are the
most durable and for that reason worth the extra expense when compared to
Ronsens and others. Abels and the regular Ronsens are eaten up very quickly
in comparison. I have just recently begun putting Ronsen Wurtzen on some
Baldwins and am happy with the tone but the verdict is still out on
durability.





  Eric Wolfley, RPT
  Head Piano Technician
  Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
  University of Cincinnati


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--

  From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Porritt, David
  Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 9:16 AM
  To: College and University Technicians
  Subject: [CAUT] Hammer wear



  Wim mentioned the other day the difference in hammer wear and wondered if
different pianists playing technique had anything to do with it.



  I tried to take pictures to post, but the camera I have here doesn’t have
good enough macro functions to really show good detail.  We have 2 M’s
bought in 2004 that are in practice rooms.  I filed the hammers in the
summer of 2005 because the grooves were deep from a year of hard use.  Also
in the summer of 2005 I hung 5 sets of Ronsen Wurzen hammers on practice
room pianos.  All of these get similar use.  The Wurzen hammers look like
the hammers were installed last week and the NY Steinway hammers are again
fairly seriously grooved.  I can only attribute that to felt density.  While
they are not hard pressed, the raw felt is just denser than other hammers.



  I’ve become a real believer!



  dp



  __________________________

  David M. Porritt, RPT

  Meadows School of the Arts

  Southern Methodist University

  Dallas, TX 75275

  dporritt at smu.edu


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