Fw: Voicing the new piano

[SUSAN P SWEARINGEN]

I'm not sure if this original post went through so I'm sending it through a
second time.

Anyone have any experience with the below method of voicing?  How does side
voicing compare with radial voicing?

Corte Swearingen
----- Original Message -----
From: "SUSAN P SWEARINGEN" <ssclabr8@flash.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, July 12, 2002 8:13 PM
Subject: Re: Voicing the new piano


> Hi Everyone,
>
> Below is a voicing method that was described in the last voicing post.
> Sounds interesting.  Any others that have followed this technique?  As I
> mentioned before, my 4 year old Yamaha U1 has extremely hard hammers and
it
> is extremely difficult getting needles in radially.  I'd like to try this
> technique as described but wanted to see if anyone else has had good
results
> from it.
>
>
>
>
>
> Rules for safe, effective voicing [from Ari Isaac website].
>
>   a.. Don't change the shape of the hammer - this does not pertain to
> filing.
>   If the hammer requires filing, file first.
>   b.. Think of the hammer and its function as though it were a tennis
ball.
>   You do not puncture the outside of the ball to make it more springy, you
> change the air pressure inside.
>   c.. Use a single needle, about .050" diameter (#2 crewel).  Use a pin
vise
> like an Isaac voicing tool.  Allow the point of the needle to stick out
> about half an inch.
>   d.. Voice by pushing the needle home into the flat side of the hammer.
>   e.. Draw a line (on the hammer or in your mind's eye) tracing the outer
> shape of the hammer and running half way between the outside of the hammer
> and the wood molding. Push the needle home following the line you drew.
Push
> the needle home every 1/16" from the 9 o'clock position right around to
the
> 3 o'clock position.
>   f.. Depending on the hardness of the particular set of hammers, you may
> need to stitch a second line closer to the outside of the hammer.
>   g.. Working from bass to treble; when you come to the low treble
section,
> begin graduating down the number of needle pushes so that when you reach
the
> last octave you push the needle home only three times: 9, 12 and 3
o'clock.
>   h.. Check your voicing often by listening to the tone.  You may find you
> need to add a few stitches at this or that point around the hammer -
> listening carefully to the tone will be your best instructor.
> Using this method you will never do damage to a hammer because you leave
the
> outside layers untouched.  Your needle pushes into the flat side of the
> hammers and will produce the effect of the inner felt fibres pushed around
> by your needle straining against the outer layers producing a more
efficient
> energy transfer and greater flexing with no reduction of hammer firmness.
> This produces a much larger and richer tone.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Newton Hunt" <nhunt@optonline.net>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Friday, July 12, 2002 2:40 PM
> Subject: Re: Voicing the new piano
>
>
> > This is the method recommended by Ari Isaac for voicing Isaac hammers.
He
> > recommends voicing only the under half of the white felt which releases
> all that
> > compressed felt on the inside of the hammer.  I have tried it with
varying
> > results, as is most of my voicing.  Being totally blind he developed
this
> method
> > so save fingers and blood.
> >
> > His perception is that the outer surface of the hammer is the skin, as
an
> > orange, and should not have holes poked into it.  It might leak. :)
> >
> > Air Isaac can be reached at isaacah@sprint.ca
> >
> > Newton
> >
> > SUSAN P SWEARINGEN wrote:
> > >
> > > 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.
> >
>