[CAUT] Ronsen-Wurzen hammers

[David Love]

Even so, traditional soundboards in different states of degradation will
often require different hammers.  An older "looser" board simply doesn't
need the same hammer that it did when it was new just as a high tension
piano with an accompanying heavy board will require something quite
different from a low tension scale with accompanying lighter board.  A
typical example, I just swapped out a set of hard German (unnamed) hammers
on an old Steinway for a set of Ronsen Bacon felt hammers, unadulterated,
unlacquered, because the sound with the unnamed German hammers was, in a
word, awful.  While the board is clearly a bit weak, the softer hammer is
plenty to drive it and it produces a very acceptable tone with adequate
power and a roundness that simply couldn't have been achieved with the
harder hammer.  The manufacturers need to offer choices within their
particular style of hammer so that a best fit depending on other factors can
be found.  No one seems to want to do it--except Ray.     

David Love
davidlovepianos at comcast.net 
www.davidlovepianos.com

-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Ron
Nossaman
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:16 PM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Ronsen-Wurzen hammers


> No question about it!  Which is why hammer manufacturers would do well to
> offer their hammers in three different pressings: soft, medium and hard to
> accommodate different soundboard responses and different accompanying
> scales.  Weight variances are also important but at least one can
manipulate
> that on one's own.  Why this is so difficult, maybe someone can explain.  
> 
> David Love

It's so difficult because 99%+ of hammers installed are hung 
with the soundboard and scale being considered a more or less 
standard and interchangeable given. Our worlds are defined by 
what we deal with. Designing and building belly systems that 
are different from those everyone else deals with daily is an 
enlightening experience. Greater efficiency is quite possible, 
and changes the hammer hardness requirements result. Somewhere 
on the far side of the complexity of getting there, it becomes 
simple again.

Ron N