Voicing the new piano

[David Love]

I think it's more a function of how the needling is done.  After the initial
shoulder needling, you should probe for hard felt with a single needle
before massively needling felt that doesn't need to be.  That will prolong
the life of the hammer and insure that you are needling only where it needs
it.  On a good quality hammer, deep needling in the shoulder doesn't need to
be done that often once the hammer is set up properly.  Most touch up
voicing can be done by light filing and sugar coating the crown.

David Love


----- Original Message -----
From: "David Ilvedson" <ilvey@sbcglobal.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: July 11, 2002 7:50 AM
Subject: Re: Voicing the new piano


I am of the mind to do as little as possible to the hammers, or no more than
I have to...I'm with you on wondering how much voicing leads to the death of
hammers.

David I.

----- Original message ---------------------------------------->
From: Richard Brekne <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Received: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 12:10:28 +0200
Subject: Re: Voicing the new piano

>David Ilvedson wrote:
>>
>> List,
>>
>> I would interested in hearing input about maintaining new pianos.
Particularly voicing.
> I have a new fleet of 9 Yamaha pianos (is that a fleet?) I am servicing on
a very regular
>basis...carte blanc.  1 C5, 3 C2s, 3 U1s and 2 P22s.  Another P22 in the
near future.
>These pianos are played 6 days a week for several hours each day.
>>

>Well I am not sure... are they afloat ?... perhaps you could
>call them a flock but then they might need to be flying...
>or a school maybe...nah... then again a bunch would be all
>tied up and a bit vulgar anyways... I suppose you could use
>a litter seeings how they are all so new... or you could
>just say "a few" :)

>> How does playing affect the new hammer, or any hammer?  Where is the
compaction
>taking place?  What do you do with the clangy, rattlely sound in the trebIe
when it
>shows in ugly face.  I have my own techniques, but I'm interested in what
others do.


>I think the hammer is getting packed in a flattening sense,
>which means the mid shoulders are being pushed / stretched
>outwards at the same time that the area right under the
>crown is getting more compact.


>Hammers used that much seem to need a quick touch up voicing
>perhaps once every month or 6 weeks depending on how hard
>they are banged at. Perhaps about 10 medium to short stabs
>just down the shoulders from the crown...  should take about
>15 - 20 minutetes top including a bit of dressing up the
>shape when you get good at it. I take a bit longer still,
>but I've seen fellows who "can" whip right through a set of
>hammers in this fashion with great results.

>What I wonder about tho is just how many times you can voice
>a set of hammers like this before the felt is just all
>ripped up. Would seem that hammer replacement would become
>more a function of how much needling has been done rather
>then wear in these high usage instruments.

>RicB
>>
>> Thanks in advance
>>
>> David I.