Hammer Types

[Barbara Richmond]

Hi Dale,

Thanks for your response.  Yes, I'd be interested in seeing the specs.  I certainly agree and have experienced the results of a too heavy hammer in the treble.  My biggest concern (as in the past) is power.  The last piano I did for an <impossible hall> had enough power if the right pianist was playing it.  Actually, there was only one instance when I felt the piano was lacking and there was a discussion on this list of the pianist's role in projection.  If I had that piano to do over again, there are a few things I would change--even though the response to the piano was very positive.  So, now I might be facing another <impossible hall> and I know I will have to experiement further with hammer weight.  Do you follow a SW line all the way through the piano, or do you go heavier lower and then jump down in the treble?

Thanks.

Barbara Richmond, RPT
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Erwinspiano at aol.com 
  To: pianotech at ptg.org 
  Sent: Saturday, October 07, 2006 9:52 PM
  Subject: Re: Hammer Types





           Hi Barbara
            Ric's point about heavier hammers is well taken but IMO most of the volume increase will be from about note 52 down to the bottom & generally the hammer will need to be stiffer to produce similar high partial blend to a more usual/normal weight hammer. The reason is it will take more time for the kinetic energy to be released into the string & more time for the hammer to reverse directions & this can be a real tone killer in the treble octaves. Ie. I don't like using more than a 6 gram hammer on C-64 in general.
      Otherwise with the heavier hammer the sound can be come too fundamental laden.  But it's just a voicing issue.  Too heavy a hammer  in the treble means more potential due to damping by the hammer, as the fundamental created by the initial pulse wave gets back to the hammer before it leaves the string.
    I personally like the shine that shows up in the overall tone with the presence of even a small amount of lacquer in the hammers.  I'm installing a les stiff set of Renner blues in a 70's Hamburg D presently & I know that they need & will easily tolerate a thin solution of Laquer acetone or keytop & plastic.   I will get the tone I want.  
      BTW The original Renner  hammers tend to be a pretty beefy hammer weight wise. If you want to know I'll send the specs later along with the action ratio.
    Regards
    Dale
  >
  >    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.
    Actually I find the Hammers coming out the factory to be quite good right now.  I just installed a set in a 70's B that were pretty much instant music after shaping to a serpintine shape & the usual weight prepping for an even strike weights. I have added very samll amounts of juice in the treble & the sound is lush fat & rich. Not clangy & thin.

  >
  >
  >    Barbara Richmond, RPT
  >    near Peoria, IL
  >
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