voicing Steinway L

[Lance Lafargue]

Thanks Mike, 
I'll look at all of this.  I do need to look back at old articles-I
remember one long series in particular that I read. Thanks for your time
and ideas. 
Lance Lafargue, RPT
New Orleans Chapter
Covington, LA.
lafargue@iamerica.net

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> From: Michael Jorgensen <Michael.Jorgensen@cmich.edu>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: voicing Steinway L
> Date: Wednesday, February 04, 1998 2:18 AM
> 
> Hi Lance,
>   
> Lance Lafargue wrote:
> > 
> > Michael,
> > 1)Is Palida the stone-like material used to rub rust off with?
>   
> Yes, that's it.  Cleaning the rust should add a few micronewtons of tone
> and brightness.
> 
> > 2)How deep is deep on the needling?  Where?  Can't I ruin the hammer 
> 
> Ed Foote did a good job of describing it.  It should go about all the
> way to the wood.  You can also try entering the hammer at the 10 and
> 2:00 positions.  The idea is to release inner compression felt which
> expands the hammer (in some cases you can actually see a hammer grow). 
> This puts outer felt under more tension for a brighter tone and also
> adds "spring" to the hammer.  The analogy I have seen given is that "a
> hammer should be like a basketball with "give and spring" as opposed to
> a hard baseball. A basketball when it strikes a gym floor makes a nice
> loud resounding "Boom". A baseball makes an obnoxious and weaker sound" 
> I'm not sure who came up with this, but I know there are several
> excellent Journal articles over the last decade.  Check Authors like
> Jack Krefting,  Airy (spelling) Issac, Bob Davis,  Matt Grossman etc on
> voicing.  
>      I have seen some people deep needle through the sides of the hammer
> below and inside the shoulders. After this, you will need to relevel the
> hammer.  Another technique is making a small nitch in the hammer head
> moulding just above the shank equally on both sides. I have seen all of
> these ideas both work and not work in increasing tone and sustain. Use
> in moderation, as overdoing it will turn the hammer into a worthless
> ball of fluff, but they may be each good for a few micronewtons of tone.
>   Another thing to check is to compare the amount of felt above the
> moulding on the weak notes to see if it is more than the brighter ones. 
> Simply filing the hammer down will correct this.  Again don't go too far
> as you'll end up with a small hammer that overcenters and doesn't check
> high enough for good repetition (i.e a host of regulation problems and a
> tone like a baseball) Been there-Done that!  Hardening is a better way
> to go in that case.  Point here is that all these things can be useful
> if done in moderation, and a few might only give you a nannonewton of
> tone.
> Good Luck
> Mike Jorgensen RPT