[CAUT] hammer line

[Alan McCoy]

So for the next hammer replacement job, I will at least reshape some hammers
(or replace a few) in that area and listen before I leave the piano. Don't
want to redo my own work. Nice to have the luxury of having the piano in the
shop at the time, but most times that isn't the case.

Jim,  No I haven't seen Dale's class on this topic.

Alan


> From: Horace Greeley <hgreeley at sonic.net>
> Reply-To: "College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>" <caut at ptg.org>
> Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:57:23 -0800
> To: "College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>" <caut at ptg.org>
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] hammer line
> 
> 
> Jim, Allan,
> 
> At 12:46 PM 2/11/2008, you wrote:
>> Alan,
>> 
>> This looks like what Dale Erwin does to all Bs. Did you attend that
>> class? I've always been a bit afraid of making this kind of
>> funkyfied hammer-line. You're only the second person I've known
>> crazy enough to actually do it! I guess I'll try it now.
> 
> This is something that really is kind of standard procedure..well,
> depending on how one defines "standard", I suppose.  FWIW, I've done
> it for years, as have a number of other folks.  Don't be afraid of
> the procedure, just approach the work carefully...you'll be amazed at
> the results.
> 
> Best.
> 
> Horace
> 
> 
> 
>> Regards, Jim
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
>> Of Alan McCoy
>> Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 1:17 PM
>> To: College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>
>> Subject: [CAUT] FW: hammer line
>> 
>> Hello folks,
>> 
>> Thought I'd share this photo. I ruined a perfectly straight hammer line on a
>> 1898 S&S A. It was the most dramatic hammer line problem I have encountered.
>> I moved the top hammer of the first capo region about 3/16" toward the capo,
>> and the lowest hammer of the top capo region about 1/8" toward the capo. For
>> both areas I thought I'd taper the hammer line all the way to the other end.
>> But as it turned out I only needed to start the taper (according to my ear)
>> at the half-way point (G5 up to the break, and D7 down to the break).
>> 
>> This area had always sounded funky and I was trying to find out why. I
>> couldn't believe how much improvement this made.
>> 
>> I know that these hammers and shanks were put on about 10 or 12 years ago,
>> but I don't know if the originals were hung straight or not. I wonder when
>> S&S figured out they needed to grind the capo out toward the bridge. There
>> was plenty of room on the capo to just grind it, rather than have to recast
>> the whole capo bar.
>> 
>> Alan
>> 
>> 
>> -- Alan McCoy, RPT
>> Eastern Washington University
>> amccoy at mail.ewu.edu
>> 509-359-4627
>