>Ron's talk about juicing hammers reminds me that maybe >it would be good to relate my own experiments with juicing. >On this same piano, the first capo section was terribly >bright and zingy. I helped the zingers some by fiddling >with the wire, but it still had too much "tang" sound for >the rest of the piano. So, yesterday, I added a little >vodka to most hammers in the first capo, on the front >shoulder. >I found it instantly effective, really, too effective. >I still need more experience before I can tell how to >reverse the vodka softening, or how it lasts over time. >For now, the tone seems good if a little soft-edged, and >I'm leaving it for about six weeks, to see whether it >brightens with heavy playing, which this piano gets lots >of. The owner tried it, and can take the present (not >extreme) softness in stride. I told him that if it starts >to annoy him, just to say the word and I'll come and iron >them and maybe juice them. >Vodka does seem much pleasanter than tearing the felt >with needles, though (and no blood on the hammers), >and it won't leave any foreign material (like Downy) >behind. > >Susan Kline Susan, This is a great post, especially the parts above referring to vodka. I'm going to keep it. Finally, a way to write off my consumption as a business expense. And switching from beer won't be too hard at all. Thanks. John Lillico, RPT (hic) Oakville, Ontario
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