PLIER VOICING - SURVEY

[w sikora]

         _
       (   )
     (       )
    ( = ( ) = )  
     (  ( )  )          
      (  |  )
       (   )


Jim,  Hold the Vice Grips parallel to the hammer so that you are squeezing
against the grain of the felt as per the crude diagram. Be careful not to
break anything.

The idea is to restore resilency, not neccesarily soften the hammer.  I had
a customer with a Steinway M with thin tone.  The hammers were actually
quite soft.  After the Vice Grip teatment and some needling, the tone
bloomed.  She was ecstatic, saying "I have my Steinway back!"

W Sikora,RPT
Chapel Hill

At 11:04 PM 12/1/97 +0000, you wrote:
>PI>Bill,
>
>PI>I agree with you.  For improving the overall sound of the piano,  Vice-Grips
>PI>deliver more bang for the buck than any tool except the tuning lever.
>
>PI>I use the method taught by Wally Brooks for voicing his new hammers.  He
>PI>sets the large Vice-Grips at 1/4" and squeezes the lower shoulders of each
>PI>hammer starting at A0 and going about 2/3 of the way up the scale. Yes, this
>PI>leaves a mark on the hammers.   I like to wrap some electrical tape on the
>PI>adjusting screw to keep the setting at 1/4".  I always do some deep needling
>PI>at about 10 O'Clock and usually the "sugar coating" treatment.
>
>PI>I consider the Vice Grip treatment _a must_ if the hammers are old and have
>PI>to be re-shaped.  It has never failed to restore glorious tone.  It really
>PI>evens out the problem area at the break.  I charge my highest rate for this
>PI>work.
>
>PI>This voicing technique is of a higher priority than regulating in terms of
>PI>overall improvment of the piano.  I think it should be taught as one of the
>PI>fundamental skills, not as one of the finer points to be left for later.  I
>PI>sure wish I'd learned it sooner rather than later!
>
>PI>Walter Sikora, RPT
>PI>Chapel HIll, NC
>
>PI>At 11:01 PM 11/27/97 +0000, you wrote:
>PI>>I have been reading all the posts about wetting hammers, steaming hammers,
>PI>> stabbbing them with needles, washing plastics and lacquers in and out of
>PI>>them, ironing them, etc. I am beginning to feel pity for the poor little
>PI>>things.
>PI>>
>PI>>Let's have it!   Who out there has had good or bad experiences with plier
>PI>>voicing!  Are there any strong prejudices about the way one massages wool
>PI>>fibers in hard hammers?
>PI>>
>PI>>IMHO - Two minutes of plier voicing,  which uses gas burner pliers or small
>PI>>Vice Grip pliers to squeeze the shoulder areas of hammers that is normally
>PI>>needled in voicing, can make a huge improvement in tone, especially to Jess
>PI>>French spinets, Winter spinets,  and 1910 big old uprights with rock hard
>PI>>hammers. I use the technique on perhaps 4 or 5 pianos a year and never char
>PI>>for it because an entire set of hammers can be treated in less than three
>PI>>minutes.  I am not suggesting that one go regulate a Steinway concert grand
>PI>>this way, -- but WHY NOT? - It is/was a technique very heavily used decades
>PI>>ago but has become unfashionable now.  I would love to hear technical reaso
>PI>>for its demise!
>PI>>
>PI>>I KNOW that one is supposed to sell a new set of imported hammers and a
>PI>>$200.00 voicing job on these PSO's, but that is unrealistic.  By the way,
>PI>> the plier voicing holds for about 6 months to a year.
>PI>>
>PI>>(Putting on my flame retarding suit)
>PI>>Bill Simon
>PI>>Phoenix
>PI>>
>On question:
>
>Are you squeezing the hammer top to bottom, or on the sides?
>
>
>