Hammer Types

[Barbara Richmond]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ric Brekne" <ricbrek at broadpark.no>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 07, 2006 1:00 PM
Subject: Hammer Types


> Hey there Barbara
snip

> If you need a BIG sound, you need to go to a bigger (heavier) hammer and
> you will need to make sure the leverage of the instrument can handle your
> choice. Ok.. thats a statement as if of fact... and I know there are folks
> who dispute the mass/soundlevel conection.  But my experience is such.

I would like to hear more about the mass/sound level connection.  What would 
be the heaviest SW you've ever gone with?  (Yeah, I know it has to work with 
the rest of the action geometry.)  I can't remember from the last time I was 
testing parts on a D.  How much help (or not) was a bigger knuckle?

Barbara


>
> Lots of things involved in each instance.
> Cheers
> RicB
>
>    Hi Ric,
>
>    Well, it's pretty little!  :)
>
>    Hmm, I was actually wondering about the power issue, since I've
>    heard more
>    than once concerns about Renner hammers cutting through the
>    orchestra in a
>    bigger hall.  I've never heard of a problem with a Hamburg Steinway
>    being
>    heard.  There is a possibility that I *may* have another big, not as
>    big,
>    but still big, dead hall to try to fill.  :)  Since I hear oo-la-las
>    about
>    Hamburg Steinway pianos (Yes, I understand that this is a NY piano) and
>    groaning about the hammers coming out of NY, I thought I'd test out
>    Hamburg
>    hammers as another possibility.
>
>    Just thinking out loud here, you understand.
>
>    BTW, Brooks Encore (the plain ones) hammers solved the problem on that
>    Seiler grand I was goofing around with for so long.  Two problems were
>    solved--the nasty sound and a touchweight problem that hadn't been
>    mentioned
>    by the customer (I pointed it out).  He was extremely pleased with the
>    results.   Ed Sutton will be happy to know that I ended up using
>    pitch-locks
>    on two of the notes instead of brass half round, etc.  ;)  This was the
>    customer who had developed a hearing sensitivity and wanted me to do
>    something about the tone quality to satisfy his ear, but also have
>    the piano
>    be acceptable to his musician friends.  As a technician friend said
>    to me,
>    how often does one get that kind of request?
>
>    Barbara Richmond, RPT
>    near Peoria, IL
>