JD / Dale And here you have the real reason for doping hammers. Its a matter of taste... purely subjective in nature and if done well will produce very nice results that are somewhat different in end resulting sound. There used to be a lot of folks trying to justify doping hammers by asserting that you could get the same sound as needled hammers. I am glad I dont hear this kind of thing anymore myself, because it really isnt true to begin with, and secondly... who should need such a justification to begin with ? Steinway NY states outright that they dont get the sound they want without using soft hammers built up with lacquer. Dale and I have had many a talk on this subject and tho we have different preferences... I'm know for a fact he gets a very nice sound out of his approach. In the end... regardless of the strong opinions any of us hold... piano voice and response is a very subjective thing that has nothing at all to do with what the instrument was designed to do... what level of loudness/harshness or softeness/mellowness is achieved. One persons noise is anothers heavenly harp. Cheers RicB JD Don't shoot me yet or flambeau me. I may be the only lacquer maverick in the herd, but all the friendly & accurately assessed cynicism aside, I find a properly made Softer hammer with quality felt will illicit a tone character I find very attractive when treated lightly with a low dosage of lacquer. To my ear, this sound is difficult to replicate with hammers without it.The lacquer in this specific case doesn't render it un-needle-eable un- less over done.
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