Voicing the new piano

[SUSAN P SWEARINGEN]

Speaking of voicing, has anyone had much luck with side needling, that is,
pushing the needle in from the sides of the hammer through the entire width.
There was a nice little article on this technique some months ago in the
journal but I've not given it a try yet. For those of you familiar with this
technique, it sounds more appropriate for older hammers, not new ones.

Corte Swearingen
----- Original Message -----
From: "Z! Reinhardt" <diskladame@provide.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, July 12, 2002 9:30 AM
Subject: Re: Voicing the new piano


> Watch Roger closely in his class -- he has devised a way to steam
> selectively by using only the rounded tip or the back side of a hammer
iron
> mounted in a 40-watt soldering iron (available from Pianotek) against the
> damp linen.  Keep in mind that the linen is only very slightly damp.  What
> gets steamed is only where the iron touched the cloth.
>
> Z! Reinhardt  RPT
> Ann Arbor  MI
> diskladame@provide.net
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "SUSAN P SWEARINGEN" <ssclabr8@flash.net>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Friday, July 12, 2002 9:43 AM
> Subject: Re: Voicing the new piano
>
>
> Hello,
>
> But aren't you in danger of also softening the strike point when you use
> steam??
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Tom Servinsky" <tompiano@gate.net>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Friday, July 12, 2002 5:32 AM
> Subject: RE: Voicing the new piano
>
>
> > David,
> > Anyway you slice it, voicing is a temporary state.  The more the piano
is
> > played the more temporary the voicing will remain. That being said, and
> > believe it or not, steaming can have a unusually long lasting effect on
> > maintaining the basic shape of sound. I'm not sure of the complete
> > scientific analysis of what's happening but I think steaming forces hot
> air
> > pockets into the felt causing the felt layers to separate which creates
> > "cushions", which in turn causes the hammer to react favorably when
> > impacting with the string. Comparing that to excessive needling, which
is
> > constantly tearing the felt fibers, steaming is a much more holistic
> > approach to voicing. Longer lasting and less destruction to the hammer
> felt.
> > Tom Servinsky,RPT
> >
> >
> > From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf
> > Of David Ilvedson
> > Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2002 7:16 PM
> > To: pianotech@ptg.org
> > Subject: Re: Voicing the new piano
> >
> >
> > Roger,
> >
> > What do you think is going on with the new hammer in those 6 months?  Is
> the
> > compaction only on the surface and not really getting down into the
> hammer?
> > What is the sound like when your done with the ironing?  Anything like
the
> > original?  Does it really last 6 months?  I'm not familiar with your
> > steaming method...haven't been to a convention in awhile...article in
the
> > Journal?
> >
> > David I.
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original message ---------------------------------------->
> > From: Baldwin Yamaha Piano Centre <baldwin@mta-01.sk.sympatico.ca>
> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> > Received: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 13:01:29 -0600
> > Subject: Re: Voicing the new piano
> >
> > >Hi David,
> > >                 A very light steaming over the crown every 6 months
can
>
> > >greatly extend the life of those hammers. We have done it with some
U1's
> in
> > >University practice studios for 5 yrs now, and no reshaping as of yet.
> The
> > >light steaming will just pop the grooves out. Dry iron after to set the
> > felt.
> > >Less invasive than needling.
> > >Regards Roger
> >
>
>
>