[pianotech] Tonal transformation

[Phil Bondi]

Hi all.

Attached is a piano that has had a tonal transformation. I 
didn't measure the room, but it is a Baldwin SD-10 in a box 
- 15x15 is my approximation - 3 sides glass and one side 
bookshelf..wood floor - 12' ceiling. Wim called it a piano 
in a cage. Good description.
The client, a well-respected local surgeon and 
Julliard-trained pianist, Likes the piano, hates the 
twanging that goes on in especially the 5th and 6th octaves. 
The original Baldwin hammers were nothing out of the 
ordinary that any of us haven't seen over the years. Some 
sets good, some not so. This set fell into the not so category.

I needled till my fingers bled and then some - I steamed, I 
vice-gripped, I alcoholed (me and the hammers), I 
repeated...still not happy. The only resolution is to 
replace, and he agreed to it.
Now my butt is on the line, because I told him I could get 
this piano to sound musical in this room with a new Hammer 
Shank Flange config(HSF)..and of course being the 
over-achiever that he is he wanted it done yesterday with a 
promise that he would be happy. I asked him if he make 
promises in his profession?

So now I start asking the question - what do I replace with? 
Having used Abels and Brooks in the past, I had no problem 
going there, but I was hesitant because of the praise being 
put on the new Ronson Hammers..olde world sound - the only 
hammer to replace with..high praise from some respected 
technicians..so I asked. The over-whelming choice was Ronson.

I called Dale Irwin, knowing that he was one of the techs 
using/carrying Ronson, and I told him my situation. After he 
picked himself up off the floor from laughter!, he suggested 
the Bacon Felt. He said it was the right choice for the 
situation. OK - let's do it.

I'll admit to not doing alot of this type of work, so when I 
do, the real hero is the person doing the real work. I had 
Dale hang them, and prepare them for me. I will take care of 
the rest, but as you can see, the real work here is being 
done by Dale and his shop.

The set I got back was very well-prepped. You always have to 
burn a hammer or 3 to get them to line up better..no problem 
there. Part of my instructions to Dale was to make sure the 
center pin/knuckle center measurement stayed very much the 
same..the touch was fine, although Dale did point out the 
hammer centers on the originals were a bit tight. Agreed. 
What I sent was samples measuring 16.1mil at that crucial 
point. What I got back was 16.8, and on average 6-7 swings 
for the hammer flange. I was a bit worried, thinking that I 
was going to have a fly-away action.

I installed and rough regulated on my bench. Down weights 
were surprisingly similar, slightly less, but they seemed to 
even out across the keyboard. Now I'm anxious to get this 
action back where it belongs.

Yesterday was the day. My first reaction after putting the 
action back in, playing my minor 9 arpeggio from bottom to 
top was - wow...and it wasn't close to being done yet.

After I was done dialing in this action, I had real depth of 
tone. In that room the 1st octave literally shook you, and 
the top octaves were clear and bright without the shrill. An 
amazing transformation. The piano had real color..warmth, 
depth, it was an exciting piano to play, and I had gained a 
little bit of control from the slightly wider center 
pin/knuckle center measurement, and of course better 
pinning. There's no more twanging, only singing. There's 
real tonal color, or as I am calling it, depth of tone.

I have not been this impressed with a set of hammers since 
using a set of Abel Performance on a another Baldwin - R - 
many years ago..one of my first replacement jobs. That piano 
still sounds great today.

Over the years I am sure this SD-10 will get a workout in 
that room. I look forward to these hammers aging as well as 
those Abels have.

That cage got alot bigger yesterday Dale. Great work.

-Phil



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