String Levelling guestions

[A440A]

Richard writes:
<snip bunch of stuff I agree with>
>>Can you survive in this business without leveling strings?, Of course you
can.
      To a degree, I gotta disagree.... you can't "survive anymore".  NOw that
you have heard the improvement that level strings makes, it will gnaw at you
when you omit doing it,  even for simply a concert tuning.  You will only be
happy when all the strings in your life will be level. Hearing the difference
will change your professional tolerances. It will represent a new level of
hearing focus that will carry over into all of your voicing procedure.

>If you have time to voice the hammers or level the strings but not
>both.....voice the hammers....greater returns will be derived. If you have
>time for both, do both.>>

    I don't really disagree with that, but would suggest a  different limit.
I.e.,  voicing depends equally on  leveling and tuning, so don't voice without
both.   Hammers mated to strings should be as integral to voicing as sharp
needles, or solid hammer support, or any of the other necessities.  If you are
only sticking needles in hammers, and doing it without level strings,  I think
time is being wasted, and hammers are being damaged.  ( not to even mention
the disastrous changes that can occur with the una corda pedal). 
     Often, the leveling is the faster way to even out the voicing than
changing the hammer.  Extreme cases can cause dampers to be held off newly
lowered strings,  so get into it with your eyes and ears open.  

Regards, 
Ed 
"xcuse the soap , I don't know where it came from......