I've worked on several prewar (1920's) D's with original parts (hammers anyway) that didn't have lacquer. Very lightweight hammer that you could practically penetrate with a needle held in your fingers. In fact, I don't think nitrocellulose lacquers were even invented until about 1920 or 1921? I think it was awhile before they started using the stuff on hammers, though I don't know for certain when that started. I've heard various stories and most of them suggest it was certainly post WWII, perhaps much later. David Love www.davidlovepianos.com I have asked before, and will ask again, can anyone come up with a SINGLE factory-installed Steinway D hammer that is lacquer-free? From any era? This request is restricted to the Model D NY hammer from the factory or the Basement. I'd really appreciate ONE piece of hard evidence on this one. Anyone? I'll reiterate that I've been told by a lot of Steinway people from at least 3 (4?) generations that ALL the D's need at least any lacquer (or it's substitute) in ALL the hammers to develop tone satisfactorily. A necessary element of tone development. And we all know which pianos the artists tend to select, for whatever reasons... Doug ********************************* Doug Wood Piano Technician School of Music University of Washington dew2 at uw.edu doug at dougwoodpiano.com (206) 935-5797 *********************************
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