---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment On 27-mei-05, at 16:23, Barbara Richmond wrote: > So Andre, > =A0 > Just curious on the work hardening issue, what have you found with the=20= > Wurzen felt hammers?=A0 I realize you=A0can pretty much put them where = you=20 > want them in the first place, but have you found that the sound=20 > "matures?"=A0 Or is it just a case of always putting them back to the=20= > same sound you got in the first place? One of the unfortunate things is that most tuners/technicians don't=20 have a 'pounding' machine. As a technician with a professional workshop, one definitely needs this=20= kind of pounding machine "zum Einpauken". If you don't have it, you're at a disadvantage, because any new hammer=20= will go through dramatic changes in its first year, or so. The change of hardening/compacting depends on the kind of felt and the=20= kind of pianist(s). This is not new to you, I know, but you asked about the Wurzen felt. They of course follow the same pattern, except for the fact that they=20 are more resilient... they bounce back in a more efficient way. Therein lies there strength, and quality. It is not a woven felt, it is not a layered felt, it is felt felt,=20 meaning that the wool fibers have interlocked to the max. Then we have the amount of pressure, applied to the felt layer around=20 the hammer moulding. A lot of pressure means a lot of voicing trouble and too little=20 pressure too. For that reason, the technician who orders hammers, should always ask=20 for these important data. If you don't ask, you may be in trouble, and this actually happens so=20 often. It is of course due to no-communication between the hammer maker and=20 the technician who both don't ask. If one finally finds someone who makes decent hammers, the quality of=20 ones work may improve dramatically. If you can rely on the hammers you just glued, you learn how to voice=20 those hammers after you have done a number of sets. This happened to me, so I know that the hammers I install will behave=20 in a certain way. If you don't have a pounding machine, the voicing work takes more time,=20= which is uneconomical because you have to come back a number of times. On the other hand, hammers change all the time, so actually a tuner=20 should be able to make quick voicing adjustments. That way, his or her=20= work is done on a higher level of craft(wo)manship. Because voicing is one of the most difficult aspects of our trade, most=20= tuners do not have an accurate enough knowledge of both regulation and=20= tuning, and that is the main reason why so many instruments are in a=20 more or less bad shape. Even so called true professional sometimes have to pour water in the=20 wine because they don't have the time to do their work in the right=20 way, or the customer simply does not want to spend the extra dime. Generally speaking, there is a constant battle going on between time=20 and money and experience. That is why I chose for speed. I trained myself to do as much as=20 possible in the shortest amount of time possible. Others are in a more glamorous position, and can spend twice the time=20 on the same instrument, as long as the customer pays. So here we have a number of parameters which are of great influence in=20= the determination of how a hammer will sound, or not. A nicely voiced hammer will always get hard, and an over-voiced hammer=20= too, only it will take much longer, unless a healthy hammer has been=20 killed. In that case, we cam all wait till the end of time. In other words : It all depends on 1. the felt 2. the hammer maker 3. the instrument maker 4. the technician 5. the customer > =A0 > Thanks, > =A0 > Barbara Richmond > =A0 > PS=A0 Do you have anything to share with me about 13-14 year old 8'=20 > Seiler pianos?=A0 :-) They certainly do not have Wurzen felt and that makes a impressive=20 difference, as Ron Overs just stated. They are also from a different time, during which instruments were=20 designed and built in a different way, with the use of different=20 materials. Take Schimmel for instance... Schimmels built in the last decades of the 20th century were not bad=20 instruments, but the Schimmels of today are quite different, and=20 actually much more beautiful. In order to improve those older instruments, we have to go through=20 great lengths and alter their design and use better materials. The Kawai Ron Overs spoke about is an excellent example. He changed a=20 number of very important things and probably turned the Kawai into a=20 jewel. As far as that goes, I get a lot of inspirattion, and it drives me and=20= my business partner to greater heights. Thank you Ron! EAR 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... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 5114 bytes Desc: not available Url : https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/0d/1e/72/78/attachment.bin ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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