[CAUT] How much voicing on new NY hammers/ Re-visited

[Paul Milesi, RPT]

I, too, have just installed a set of pre-hung Steinway h/s/f on a D from
1970.  Same tonal issues.  I¹m told the trick is to get the lacquer to the
core...you¹ve really gotta soak Œem, don¹t be afraid, and it¹s best if you
can do it on the first pass.

I¹m wondering if those of you using these hammers did any filing/shaping?
I¹m probably going to try that, thinking it will bring up the tone.  I think
I¹ll be sure to emphasize the diamond shape, ala Oorebeek.

Thoughts/suggestions?
-- 
Paul Milesi, RPT
Staff Piano Technician
Howard University Department of Music
Washington, DC
(202) 806-4565 Shop/Office
(202) 246-3136 Cell



From: Paul T Williams <pwilliams4 at unlnotes.unl.edu>
Reply-To: <caut at ptg.org>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:14:15 -0600
To: <caut at ptg.org>
Subject: Re: [CAUT] How much voicing on new NY hammers/ Re-visited

Hi Kent and all, 

I quite discouraged with the set of factory hammers for one of our D's we
discussed a couple months ago.  I've had to juice them several times all
over.  I still don't like the tenor and killer octaves all the way up to
C-7.  They're hung nice and straight, but for fun, I moved the action in and
out a small amount (like2-4mm) to see if the killer area was going to need
altering in the strike point.  Not much happened, so they stay where they
are. 

Of course, they haven't had a lot of playing in yet.  I get so-so fff and
the ppp is pretty good.  I don't like much of anything inbetween except the
middle 2 octaves and bass.  It's just weak sounding. String mating is good
and regulation is great, so it's either that these aren't a great set of
hammers, or the soundboard has some issues (this piano is from the 80's or
early 90's)  It was a C&A piano, so it's got a different serial number, but
that's what Richard West says, and since he was here, that's what it is...

I might consider trying some Hamburg hammers sometime, but I'll really have
to think long and hard about getting another NY set.

What about y'all? 

Paul 



From: Kent Swafford <kswafford at gmail.com>
To: caut at ptg.org 
Date: 10/13/2010 05:27 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] How much voicing on new NY hammers




I have found no consistent answer to your question. The last set of D
hammers I put on needed to be juiced up a bit in the top two sections and
was then ready to go; the set before that has been juiced twice throughout
and is not yet bright enough; the one before that was OK in the tenor but
needed to be juiced everywhere else.

Hanging these is like spinning the wheel of fortune. I'd be interested in
knowing where yours land.

Kent 


On Oct 13, 2010, at 4:17 PM, Paul T Williams wrote:

Hi all 

Quick question;  how much voicing is typically needed on the new NY hammers
for our D?  I have a very small window to put a set on our D in the main
hall.  They're pre-hung and I have them here in the shop.  The project
starts tomorrow. 

Thanks 
Paul 




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