Voicing up Shigeru Kawai SK3

[Isaac sur Noos]

Stephane,

Ironing is limited in result, it clean an even the tone, but the iron
may not be too hot nor pressed on the hammer.

The type of felt (pure wool or not) may certainly be taken in account
before ironing.

Sometime touching lightly just the tip of the hammer with a hot iron
gives a little ping to the attack. But if a hammer lacks resiliency at
it's tip the solution is usually in the internal zones of the fiber,
not at the outer core, more responsible for the spectral aspect of the
timbre than the trade off power/energy.

So ironing can give a more rich spectra, but do not reinforce
(lenghten) the tone  in my experience.

just my cts.

Like that, but I don't master the terms in English I guess.

Best Regards.

Isaac OLEG


> -----Message d'origine-----
> De : pianotech-bounces@ptg.org
> [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]De la
> part de Stéphane Hanriat
> Envoyé : vendredi 20 février 2004 22:49
> À : Pianotech
> Objet : Re: Voicing up Shigeru Kawai SK3
>
>
> Thanks a lot Richard for these interesting comments.
>
> I still consider my piano as excellent, the best I've ever
> seen during 2
> years looking
> at Shimmel, Yamaha, Sauter, Pleyel, Steingreber, Petrof,
> Ibach, Grotrian,
> Feurich,
> and even Steinway & Bosen...
> With this improvement in the range I mentioned, it would be
> simply perfect.
>
> I'll discuss the 'battery voicing' with the Kawai Master
> Piano Artisan when
> he is coming
> at home for the visit, although I would be more confortable
> with ironing or
> banging.
>
> Cheers,
> Stephane Hanriat
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Richard Brekne" <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no>
> To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2004 11:14 PM
> Subject: Re: Voicing up Shigeru Kawai SK3
>
>
> > If the lower shoulders have not been needled (around 3
> and 9 oclock) you
> > can try some limited deep needling there to try and bring up some
> > power..but this high up in the treble it is unlikely you
> will gain very
> > much. Ironing with hard pressure can help and likely will
> give you a bit
> > back.  If that doesnt work, and filing hasnt helped..
> then you are left
> > with either changing hammers or trying a bit of laquer.
> Before you try
> > either you might just play on the piano a good deal, and
> bang in the
> > weak area quite a bit. That may harden them up enough for you.
> >
> > A shame on a brand new Shigeru.  In defense of your
> voicer I would point
> > out that there is a good deal of subjectivity involved
> when it comes to
> > voicing. Its not always easy to know exactly what is
> going to please
> > each customer. You'd be (maybe) suprised how much
> variance there is in
> > voicing preferences from pianist to pianist.
> >
> > That said... a good piano voice will generally allow for
> a very bright,
> > but not compact fortisimo, and a pianismo that does not
> really loose so
> > much its brightness as it gains a kind of subdued
> roundness quality to
> > the sound it creates. At least thats sort of how it "feels" to me.
> >
> > Cheers
> > RicB
> >
> >
> > Stéphane Hanriat wrote:
> > > Hello,
> > >
> > > I own a brand new Shigeru Kawai SK3 that the Kawai
> technician in France
> has
> > > made, according to me,  too deep voicing on notes in
> the treeble range
> > > (octave 5 to 6).
> > >
> > > Although he disagrees with that, the tone is slightly
> too mellow in this
> > > range,
> > > from pianissimo up to mezzo forte. At pianissimo or
> piano, the higher
> > > partials are
> > > reduced compared to neighboring octaves (impacted notes
> are from 55 to
> 69),
> > > and the attack looks a bit dull.
> > > Those higher partials are coming back with more
> strength on the key.
> > > However,
> > > these notes always require slightly more strength to
> produce a balanced
> > > sound.
> > >  From Mezzo forte up to Forte, things are OK (overall
> loudness and tone
> > > quality
> > > is well balanced)
> > >
> > > The technician made several filing with very limited
> improvement. I'm
> not a
> > > specialist, just a pianist - but my engineering
> background and what I
> > > learned
> > > reading your very interesting posts, tell me that there
> has been likely
> > > too much
> > > deep needling in the higher section of the shoulders.
> > >
> > > The Shigeru hammers are cold-pressed and are considered
> as medim/soft in
> > > europe. May be they are not  very robust to extensive voicing.
> > >
> > > I'm wondering what could be the best solution to
> recover some power to
> these
> > > 15 hammers : dry ironing, juicing or changing those 15
> hammer heads ?
> > > Kawai says the tone will not be even if I change only a
> sub set of
> hammers
> > > (they don't want to replace either full set of subset
> anyway...).
> > >
> > > Have you experienced changing subset of hammers in this range ?
> > > Which hammer head brand would you recommend for those
> Kawai pianos
> (softer
> > > than Yamaha...) ?
> > > Do you think dry ironing would make it ? (actually the
> recovery level
> > > I'm expecting
> > > is not that big and the felt thickness is small in this
> range, so this
> > > could work).
> > >
> > > Many thanks for your feedbacks,
> > > Sincerely yours,
> > > Stephane Hanriat
> > > stephane.hanriat@free.fr <mailto:stephane.hanriat@free.fr>
> > >
> > > PS : This being said, the SK3 is an outstanding
> instrument. Action is
> > > close to
> > > perfection, overall tone is wonderful, rich, not too
> harsh like Yamaha
> > > and the
> > > softer hammers give you great control and margin in the
> way you produce
> > > louder
> > > sound.
> > >
> > >
> >
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> >
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