Voicing Help

[David Ilvedson]

Kat, reading what I wrote you may want to work closer to the strike point with 2 mm needles instead of 3 mm...you have to experiment...

David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA  94044

----- Original message ----------------------------------------
From: "David Ilvedson" <ilvey at sbcglobal.net>
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Received: 5/4/2008 8:17:24 PM
Subject: RE: Voicing Help


>You need a normal voicing tool...3 needles.   I would REALLY recommend Jurgens 
>adjustable voicing tool!!!!   He sends me a couple dollars for every sale I get 
>him...;-]     Lay the action down on a couple of 2X4s (underneath end brackets)  Use 
>a thin board underneath the area you are voicing to give something solid to needle 
>into and raise the hammers.   Start in the Bass with 4 mm extended needles and 
>work each hammer from 9 am up to 11 am and the other side 3 pm up to 1 pm.   
>Smack the tool with some force into the felt.   You are loosening up the shoulders.   
>Put it back in the piano and take a listen...I like to start in the bass to get an idea of 
>what will happen before I move into tenor.   You should have a nice difference...lay 
>it down again and proceed into the tenor with may 3 mm extended needles.   Go up 
>half way and check in the piano again.   Continue up the piano bringing in the 
>needles as you go up.   You can leave the top octave for now.   It doesn't get playe!
> d much and you want each end of the piano brighter.   Now you need to work closer 
>to the strike point for finer work.   needles 3 mm for the bass getting shorter as you 
>go up.   Turn tool to 45 degrees and voice across on both sides up to 11:30 and 
>12;30.   Stop and listen often.   You will hear that old Yamaha sound you use to 
>have.   Finally sugar coat the strike point.   Another quick fix that doesn't last is to 
>use a vegetable cleaning brush...plastic bristles...experiment with stiffness.   

>David Ilvedson, RPT
>Pacifica, CA  94044

>----- Original message ----------------------------------------
>From: KeyKat88 at aol.com
>To: pianotech at ptg.org
>Received: 5/4/2008 3:32:40 PM
>Subject: Voicing Help


>>Greetings,
>> 
>>         I usually shallow needle  my Yami's U3 hammers after tuning to take 
>>off the "glassy" edge. However,  after 10+ years of playing on this piano 
>>(This is my personal piano),  sugar-coating ain't cutting it anymore.  The hammers 
>>sound  ear-piercing. I side needled the area just in front of the wood core,  
>>but this only alleviated the ear piercing sound a little. These hammers  were 
>>packed hard too!  Is Yamaha hammer  quality the problem?  What am I doing 
>>wrong? ...or aren't I needling  enough?  
>> 
>>Thanks
>>Julia Gottshall
>>Reading, PA 



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