[CAUT] How much voicing on new NY hammers/ Re-visited

[Dempsey Jr., Paul E]

I put a set of Brook's "naturals" on one of our D's last summer. I like them very much, even better than the Abel Encores that were there previously. This D is from 1968.

I haven't use factory hammers in years with the exception of a set of New York ones on an "M" two summers ago. They suck.




Paul E. Dempsey, RPT
Piano Technician Sr.
Marshall University
Huntington, WV
304-696-5418
304-617-1149




-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Paul T Williams
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2011 12:14 PM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [CAUT] How much voicing on new NY hammers/ Re-visited

Hi Kent and all, 

I quite discouraged with the set of factory hammers for one of our D's we discussed a couple months ago.  I've had to juice them several times all over.  I still don't like the tenor and killer octaves all the way up to C-7.  They're hung nice and straight, but for fun, I moved the action in and out a small amount (like2-4mm) to see if the killer area was going to need altering in the strike point.  Not much happened, so they stay where they are. 

Of course, they haven't had a lot of playing in yet.  I get so-so fff and the ppp is pretty good.  I don't like much of anything inbetween except the middle 2 octaves and bass.  It's just weak sounding. String mating is good and regulation is great, so it's either that these aren't a great set of hammers, or the soundboard has some issues (this piano is from the 80's or early 90's)  It was a C&A piano, so it's got a different serial number, but that's what Richard West says, and since he was here, that's what it is... 

I might consider trying some Hamburg hammers sometime, but I'll really have to think long and hard about getting another NY set. 

What about y'all? 

Paul 




From: 	Kent Swafford <kswafford at gmail.com> 
To: 	caut at ptg.org 
Date: 	10/13/2010 05:27 PM 
Subject: 	Re: [CAUT] How much voicing on new NY hammers

________________________________




I have found no consistent answer to your question. The last set of D hammers I put on needed to be juiced up a bit in the top two sections and was then ready to go; the set before that has been juiced twice throughout and is not yet bright enough; the one before that was OK in the tenor but needed to be juiced everywhere else. 

Hanging these is like spinning the wheel of fortune. I'd be interested in knowing where yours land. 

Kent 


On Oct 13, 2010, at 4:17 PM, Paul T Williams wrote: 

Hi all 

Quick question;  how much voicing is typically needed on the new NY hammers for our D?  I have a very small window to put a set on our D in the main hall.  They're pre-hung and I have them here in the shop.  The project starts tomorrow. 

Thanks 
Paul