Voicing M&H BB

[Kevin E. Ramsey]

    Terry, yeah, after making sure that the problem isn't something like
downbearing or something structural, I think the next step would be your
liquid of choice. Believe me, it's reversible, so don't worry so much.
    Just don't put so much on it that you can't get a needle in it, and I
doubt that you could do that even if you tried.
    (Well, maybe if you tried.)



----- Original Message -----
From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2001 6:13 PM
Subject: Voicing M&H BB


> 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
>