Re voicing hammers

Andrew & Rebeca Anderson anrebe@zianet.com
Sun, 15 May 2005 20:31:04 -0600


Well, my original note mentioning that there was damper work to do was 
where the problem was.  A little hint, when I returned two days later, 
there was only one center unison standing out as problematic.  Timing was 
quite late.  Fixed damper timing and everything sounded better.  Hammers 
weren't cupped.  As for voicing, they sound good barely played.  A little 
more playing-in and I can evaluate if I want a little more edge in the low 
bass and on the top three to five treble notes.  Perhaps a little 
burnishing with some high grit paper or maybe a little acetone to compact 
the fibers a little if that isn't enough.  Might be a little needling in 
the midrange after some playing-in.
This piano has an unusually long back-scale all the way up into the high 
treble.  Sustain is really good up to the top.  This is a player grand that 
has sostuneto (tabs are not hinged) & una corda shift pedal as well as a 
player activated hammer lift rail.  All in all, quite interesting.
The keyframe is flat on the bottom with glide studs in the middle and it 
does need bedding.  I'm thinking of getting out my portable planer an 
leaving a 1" wide lip on the front rail and the back rail to make this more 
reasonable to bed.  Does that raise any alarm bells?

Thanks for all the comments,
Andrew

At 08:19 AM 5/15/2005 -0600, you wrote:
>Dale,
>I didn't have time Friday to finish assessing the problem.  I'll be 
>looking at hammer-string mating (string levelling etc.), terminations, 
>bridge pin seating (bridges weren't replaced), dampers (overextended felt 
>possible but didn't look like it) etc.  I presumed cupping because several 
>middle unisons are different then the outside unisons.  Again, other 
>possible issues have to be eliminated before going to hammer 
>voicing.  There is very good sustain in the high treble.  I'm caught 
>between tuning the attack phase or tuning the sustain because it is so long.
>By the way, the hanging job looks great, better alignment and travel then 
>I've seen on some makes.  Regulation much better than I've seen from some 
>stores.  The case is exquisite minus a gash thanks to the delivery 
>guy.  The plate is beautifully detailed etc.  Decal on the soundboard 
>looks original.  Neat coils on the stringing job and so on.  The customer 
>and I are very happy.
>The grunt work is done and now I'm busy dialing the piano in.  Can buy 
>that too, I understand, but I've got to justify markup to myself. ;-)
>Andrew
>
>At 12:27 AM 5/14/2005 -0400, you wrote:
>>   Andrew
>>     I've used these hammers for over ten years .Call me I'd be willing 
>> to talk you thru it.  Also  & by the way have you need to consider 
>> that  the problem might not be the hammers. Renners & Ronsen Hammers are 
>> two different animals & are treated  very differently.
>>    Dale Erwin
>>Just got a rebuilt piano from SAMA with new Ronsons hung on it.  They need
>>a little filing to get rid of cupping.  The sustain is a little short in
>>the middle, got to look over damping a little, but I think that some
>>voicing would be called for.  Are the instructions for voicing Renner
>>hammers good for voicing the Wurzen felted Ronsons?
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Andrew
>>
>
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