[CAUT] hammer line

[Wolfley, Eric (wolfleel)]

Chris and all,

I was just composing a similar post in my mind when I read Chris' post
below. I too have had far fewer strike-point issues since I have been
calibrating strikeweights and have wondered for a while about the
relationship between soundboard stiffness, hammer mass/hardness, and
strikepoint. As a case in point, I've recently finished a Precision
Touch Design on a private client's Steinway D which had a crazy
hammerline dip (it looked like Alan's picture) at the beginning of the
first capo section which was the result of a previous technician's
efforts to shore up a weakness in that area. I looked at the V-bar
termination and the bridge and saw no reason for such a
maneuver...everything was nice and straight and even. So when I hung the
new hammers I kept the hammerline nice and straight as well and lo and
behold, there were no strikepoint issues. I am interested in
experimenting with the riblets and soundboard weights that have been in
the news lately and how that technique will interact with hammer mass
adjustments. It is my guess that this will eliminate some strikepoint
issues as well.

Eric

Eric Wolfley, RPT
Director of Piano Services
College-Conservatory of Music
University of Cincinnati
-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Chris Solliday
Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 1:23 AM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: Re: [CAUT] hammer line

Jim and Alan,
  You guys have probably thought of this but I thought I'd mention it
anyway
because I haven't seen it as part of this thread.
Calibrating the strikeweight from at least note 52 up before assessing
the
hammerline makes what you hear make more sense. I glue my line on
straight
with a calibrated strike weight, after sorting shanks by weight, and
then I
seem to have less need to vary the strikeline.
 I don't have any hard data from the way I used to do it before. I think
the
real difference comes from the sorting of the shanks as they can vary a
whole gram or more. Calibrating strike weight without sorting the shanks
really makes alot of unnecessary work and can make for some funny
looking
hammers in the treble section.
At least this is something to consider. My treble voicing issues have
become
considerably reduced by doing it this way. I think that before I used
this
procedure I was more inclined to funkify my line than currently, not
that I
don't. Maybe I just feel like I get a better result overall. And maybe
it's
actually less funkification. I wish I could prove it but I wasn't
looking
for that particular improvement so I didn't do a good before and after.
Anyway there's 2 more cents.
Chris Solliday
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Busby" <jim_busby at byu.edu>
To: "College and University Technicians" <caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 3:46 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] hammer line


> 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.
>
> 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
>
>