[CAUT] Ronsen-Wurzen hammers

[David Ilvedson]

It would be so nice to be able to go to different Universities and hear pianos in different environments.   Everyone has their opinions and I'd like to hear the differences...

David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA  94044

----- Original message ----------------------------------------
From: "Alan McCoy" <amccoy at mail.ewu.edu>
To: "College and University Technicians" <caut at ptg.org>
Received: 4/16/2008 9:40:31 AM
Subject: 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