Hello Listees. I tuned a 1979 Mason & Hamlin BB (Hand Crafted by American Craftmen) today at a small low (like, really low) budget recording studio. The young fellow (very enthusiastic) there was very interested in improving his prized piano. The voicing is horrible. His general comments were that the bass is excellent and the rest of the piano is too "dark", and "it doesn't sound like a Yamaha - will replacing the strings make it brighter?" - he wants it brighter. My observations were that the bass is very bright and brassy and loud and powerful. That drops right off with the lowest tenor note - very mellow and quiet - as is the rest of the piano - except for occassional tinny-bright notes in tenor and treble. The piano is in average shape over-all - it was in a church prior to this guy buying it 4 years ago (for $4,800). Anyway, to please this guy, the task is to brighten up all the plain wire sections in general, even out the few odd balls, and do something with the bass tenor break - it's worse than most spinets (is this common on this piano?). It has the little green hammers that M&H (Aeolian) used back in the 60s and 70s (always used???). I have not done much voicing. I have steamed a fair little bit. I have stuck a few hammers with needles with generally acceptable results. I have never tried to make hammers brighter. I have a lot of written material describing how to apply hammer hardener (laquer, etc.). What I am asking here is for some input on direction. Is a liquid hardener the way to start, etc., etc.? Any thoughts are welcome. I'm not afraid to put a soundboard in a piano, but voicing scares me - I can't hold it in my hand, I can't measure it, I can't cut it, I can't glue it! Terry Farrell
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