Voicing for sustain: was Downbearing and Tone

[David Love]

My guess is that it's the soundboard.  Try plucking the strings on the
notes in question and see if you are getting much more out of them than
when struck by the hammers.  If so, then you can probably improve the
sustain by further needling the shoulders and getting more resilience in
the hammer.  After needling try pounding the crown of the hammer a few
times supported underneath by a wooden block.  Us a small combination
hammer or the back of a voicing tool if you have one that is flat.  Hold
the hammer firmly so you don't snap it off.   Abel hammers can be tricky to
get them to open up.  Also, try moving the strike point around by sliding
the action in or out to see that improves things.  Having the hammers too
far out (striking the string too far from the capo bar) can reduce sustain
and power.  Make sure the hammers are well fit to the strings and have a
good shape on top.  Since they are new I assume the shape is probably good.
If none of that works, then I think it's probably the board.

David Love
davidlovepianos@earthlink.net


> [Original Message]
> From: gordon stelter <lclgcnp@yahoo.com>
> To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Date: 3/15/2003 5:11:03 AM
> Subject: Re: Downbearing and Tone
>
>   Abel Encores,
> > have done some shoulder needling but don't want to
> > over do it. 
>
> I have also just put some Abel encores on a piano
> which is having problems with very short sustain. I
> followed Wally's needling directions, which improverd
> the sustain some, but not dramatically. Is it the
> piano, or is this chracteristic of the hammers?
>      Thunk
>
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