---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Congratulations Barbara. Interesting story and a very professional approach. It also shows, and makes again clear, that one should not mess around=20 with heavy hammers and hammer dope. Andr=E9 Oorebeek On 2-mei-05, at 23:19, Barbara Richmond wrote: > Hi all, > =A0 > There's nothing new here for the experienced rebuilders, but others=20 > might learn a bit from my "journey."=A0 I've been a tech since 1982,=20= > have lots of service, repair, voicing,=A0concert=A0& recording prep=20 > experience, but had never ventured much into the world of action=20 > rebuilding.=A0 So, what the heck, after a nice, long maternity leave, = I=20 > started off with a D located in a huge auditorium.=A0 Probably not = where=20 > most folks start off (and I certainly wouldn't recommend it!), but=20 > once I was satisfied with=A0the actual rebuilding=A0part--like, = hanging=20 > the hammers (the biggest challenge=A0for me) the rest was my cup of = tea. > =A0 > In the beginning--a 1975 Steinway D, poorly rebuilt about 10 years=20 > ago.=A0 There were a number of problems. > =A0 > 1.=A0 The administration expected the piano to fill (without=20 > amplification) an acoustically dead hall that seats nearly 3500. > 2.=A0 Because of this expectation, the=A0hammers were voiced like=20 > granite.=A0 Because they were voiced like granite the front duplex of=A0= > =A0=A0 =A0 the lower treble had been muted.=A0 > 3.=A0 The knuckle mounting distance was around 15 mm. > 4.=A0 The hammers were too heavy. > 5.=A0 The combination of the knuckle mounting distance, heavy hammers=20= > and sluggish action centers=A0made for an=A0especially > =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0heavy touch.=A0 > =A0 > Last spring=A0I had been called in as a consultant (you know, an=20 > expert=A0that lives at least 50 miles away--though I only live 40 = miles=20 > away).=A0 I wrote up a report that recommended rebuilding or = replacement=20 > and gave some other suggestions on piano care. > =A0 > Last fall I was asked to take on the tuning duties at the auditorium.=A0= =20 > "Not unless I can make the piano sound and play better!"=A0 I = replied.=A0=20 > I was on my way.....=A0 > =A0 > Here's what I did: > =A0 > First I=A0needed to determine whether or not I could use the existing=20= > hammers.=A0 They were barely worn Steinway hammers, but *seriously*=20 > hardened.=A0=A0I have had a lot of=A0experience working with = over-hardened=20 > hammers (it seems like all I ever work on are over-lacquered hammers)=20= > and many folks would groan at my method of softening them, but, it=20 > works=A0very well for me.=A0=A0After giving an initial voicing, I = decided,=20 > yes, I could use them.=A0 That first voicing proved that I could = remove=20 > the muting material from the treble front duplex.=A0 Immediately there=20= > was more power. > =A0 > Next, I knew I needed to make a change with the knuckle mounting=20 > distance.=A0 I was tempted to use the Kaplan knuckle moving jig, but=20= > then there were=A0local grumblings=A0made about using Genuine New York=20= > Steinway parts.=A0 There was a definite political=A0aspect to this = job, so=20 > going with=A0Genuine New York was=A0preferable.=A0 > =A0 > After changing out the hammer shanks for Steinway shanks with 17mm=20 > knuckle mounting distance and replacing the wippens, the=A0down = weights=20 > dropped significantly, but it still wasn't good enough--especially in=20= > the treble.=A0 At this point the treble weighed off=A0a *lot*=A0higher = than=20 > the bass---that was sort of special.=A0=A0=A0Keep in mind that I had = not yet=20 > done a significant hammer shaping (or whatever you like to call=20 > it)--just a=A0minor one when I was testing the voicing. > =A0 > At this point, with new wippens, new shanks and the old hammers, I had=20= > my first chance to=A0tune and play the piano in the auditorium (not in=20= > the basement where the piano resides).=A0 Oh my,=A0 that treble = "knock"=20 > reached all the way down into the high tenor section--every time I=20 > tuned a note, I felt like I was getting whacked by a stick.=A0 Of=20 > course, I realize part of that knock was due to=A0some hall acoustics,=20= > but=A0it was one of the obvious=A0clues about changing the hammer = weight. > =A0 > Next, I=A0tested for hammer weight (actually SW) in regards to tone. = =A0I=20 > simply took the hammer=A0assemblies of notes from above (some a fifth,=20= > some even an octave) and=A0installed them down in the scale (yes, one=20= > has to re-regulate).=A0 An important detail to remember is the piano=20= > already had an=A0*even* voicing on it.=A0 The tone blossomed on those=20= > notes (with the lighter hammers) and=A0the touch weight was getting = more=20 > reasonable.=A0 It was a great way to=A0get an idea of=A0what hammer = weight=20 > to shoot for because=A0my ear was the judge.=A0 I had thought that = with=20 > the=A0initial voicing that the tone color progression from soft to = loud=20 > was good, but it was *nothing* compared to the lighter, or should I=20 > say, hammers of a more appropriate weight.=A0 > =A0 > After "sculpting" the hammers and doing the best regulation (including=20= > re-balancing the keys) and the absolute best voicing I've ever done in=20= > my life, etc., the piano sounded great (just my opinion)--I thought it=20= > was especially amazing because these were the same hammers that had=20 > produced=A0such=A0ugly sounds earlier.=A0 Don't get the idea that the=20= > voicing was accomplished in=A0a couple=A0sittings, though!=A0 Now it = can=20 > growl, sing sweetly and play just above a whisper.=A0=A0 > > =A0 > > I was under the impression that the auditorium management had agreed=20= > that the piano would always be amplified, so I thought all=A0I had to = do=20 > was make this piano into a well regulated,=A0musical =A0instrument.=A0 = The=20 > piano's first (serious) major performance was last Friday night, with=20= > the Illinois Symphony Orchestra (professional provincial group) with=20= > Yakov Kasman (silver medallist, Van Cliburn competition '97) playing=20= > the Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini.=A0 > =A0 > It turned out that the orchestra refused amplification and I was=20 > worried the piano wouldn't carry the house when accompanied by a full=20= > orchestra.=A0=A0But---it did!=A0 It was a sweet success, and I=20 > received=A0several compliments--the best one from a pianist I know who=20= > always speaks exactly what's on her mind, "The piano sounded=20 > fabulous------the nuances!"=A0 I also had compliments from members of=20= > the orchestra.=A0 That was the big pay-off for me (well, I liked the=20= > money, too.). > =A0 > I learned an incredible amount on this job.=A0 I had posed the=20 > question=A0a year ago last spring=A0on this list about whether or not=20= > bigger hammers were better for projection in a big place like this.=A0 = I=20 > can answer that now.=A0 No, they have to be juuuuuust right (like=20 > Goldilocks and the three little bears).=A0 I even discovered that they=20= > don't have to be voiced like granite to carry (at least in this=20 > hall).=A0 So many of you helped me, whether you know it or not.=A0 = Thanks=20 > to those of you with whom I had private e-mail exchanges.=A0 It was=20 > amazing--several times when I would have a question, someone on the=20 > list would oblige me and ask that certain something=A0I needed to = know.=20 > I couldn't have done=A0it without you. > =A0 > If there is music to describe my adventure, I would say it's Rossini's=20= > Overture to La Cenerentola.=A0 Go have a listen--the tentative=20 > beginning, the building crescendo and the joyous end.=A0 > =A0 > =A0 > Again, many thanks to all of you, > =A0 > Barbara Richmond, RPT > =A0 > > =A0 > =A0 friendly greetings from Andr=E9 Oorebeek www.concertpianoservice.nl "Where music is no harm can be" ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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