[CAUT] Ronsen-Wurzen hammers

[Paul T Williams]

Thanks Alan,

Have you tried Ronsen on a Baldin D?  I know Baldwin's are a bit pingy-er 
traditionally, but is that just the Baldwin hammers?  I gotten lots of 
positive reccommendations for this particular piano although I don't think 
Richard West ever used them.  Most of the pianos I see around school have 
Renner or Abel. Nothing against either one.  Actually, my favorite is 
Wally Brooks/Abel Natural felt hammers.  I just wanted to try something 
that so many techs are endorsing.  This piano is used by undergrads, 
chiors, and orchestras (unless we have a MM or DMA or guest artist 
performing, then we use the Steinway D). In reality, I wish we could get a 
whole new belly, but for now, we have to go with just a stack replacement 
(Renner wips and shanks, etc). In the end, especially for two piano 
pieces, I want the Baldin to be able to "keep up" with the Steinway. 
Everyone here loves the Steinway!  Whatever I put on will be an 
improvement,  The Baldwin action and hammers were toast probably several 
years ago, but until this year, it was on "loan" from the Lied Center for 
Performing Arts next door.  When I brought up the needs of the piano, they 
"donated" it to us!  They're having some budget issues, so I think it was 
an easy decision to unload it on us. 

Oh well,  a pretty good piano for free! :>)

Paul






Alan McCoy <amccoy at mail.ewu.edu> 
Sent by: caut-bounces at ptg.org
04/16/2008 11:52 AM
Please respond to
College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>


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Re: [CAUT] Ronsen-Wurzen hammers






Hi Paul,

One thing that disturbs me about these hammers, at least on the pianos I
have put them on, is that they never give me the "clang" that I want at a
fff dynamic level. They are nicely made, don't require much prep, and give 
a
warm, dark tone quality, but in my experience with a fff blow all you get 
is
more volume without as much change in the partial mix as I want. I have
ended up juicing every set. If I could get a set of S&S hammers that were
completely unaltered at the factory (long uncoved, unarced tails), I would
use Steinway hammers. I happen to like the sound I can get using lacquer, 
so
I will  go back to using Ronsen Bacon hammers with lacquer. Having said 
this
though, so as not to be misunderstood, I do not like a bright piano sound
that you get from hard hammers. The only time I want clang is at the 
highest
dynamic levels, so the pianist has to work to get it, as opposed to those
pianos that are pingy from the getgo at a pp level.

FWIW.

Alan


-- Alan McCoy, RPT
Eastern Washington University
amccoy at mail.ewu.edu
509-359-4627
509-999-9512


> From: Paul T Williams <pwilliams4 at unlnotes.unl.edu>
> Reply-To: "College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>" 
<caut at ptg.org>
> Date: Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:01:13 -0500
> To: <caut at ptg.org>
> Subject: [CAUT] Ronsen-Wurzen hammers
> 
> Hi gang,
> 
> This summer I'm rebuilding the action on our 1956 Baldwin D using Renner
> shanks/flanges and wippens.  I'm also, per your previous 
reccommendations,
> trying Ronsen-Wurzen hammers for the first time.  I have some time 
before
> summer arrives to "prep" the parts, weigh off the shanks, check pinning,
> etc.  My question is; What sort of pre-voicing should be done with these
> hammers?  Do they require pre-filing, juicing, needling etc.?  They're
> already bored, tapered and tails shaped nicely.
> 
> Thanks for any input!
> 
> Paul T. Williams RPT
> Univ. of Nebraska



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