[CAUT] Fwd: Steinway sound-Hammer weights

[David Love]

Understandable.  You feel a bit more in control voicing down than guessing
about lacquer and how the lacquer will develop over time.  The Weickert and
Wurzen Ronsens will, IMO, need some time to develop to achieve what it seems
like you're after and that's not always doable in a must-be-ready-now
concert hall situation.  That is, not without adding a lot of lacquer which
sort of defeats the whole idea.  The upper end will, however, probably need
a bit of help, though not as much as a NY Steinway or Bacon felt hammer.  

Understanding how to work with a voice down type of hammer is really
important.  If you aren't familiar with that style of hammer on a NY D and
simply start crown needling like you do on a lacquered hammer you get
nowhere fast and it's not a very good nowhere.  So on a Steinway D what is
your voicing down hammer of choice?  This goes back to this discussion some
tens of posts back where I suggested that the Hamburg Steinway hammer was
often a good choice for a New York D (got some resistance there).  I still
feel that way, especially in the situation you describe.  

David Love
www.davidlovepianos.com


-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Fred
Sturm
Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2011 5:45 PM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Fwd: Steinway sound-Hammer weights

On Mar 3, 2011, at 4:12 PM, David Love wrote:

>  The Ronsen
> Bacon felt hammer is in the same category, I think.  However, the  
> Ronsen
> Wurzen and Weickert felt hammers are firmer and will rise to the  
> appropriate
> level with some play-in and a minimum amount of hardener.


	Thanks for the detailed feedback, David. I agree that unadulterated

Steinway hammers and Ronsen Bacon simply won't "come up" with play, at  
least in my experience. It is good to know that Ronsen Wurzen and  
Weickert are enough firmer that play in at least might be sufficient.  
I have heard some enthusiastic stories about those two hammers, but on  
follow up privately the story changed a bit to be that the tech loved  
the sound, but to please people hardening was needed. I haven't had  
the spare time and money to experiment myself.
	I think I will stick to a moderate voice down. Or a major voice down

if that's what it takes. Unlike some, I am not afraid of 40 - 100  
strokes per hammer, as long as they are not gut-wrenching strokes.  
WIth mildly dense hammers, it is more a matter of 10 strokes per side,  
which I find quite reasonable. I prefer voicing down (to the dream of  
just putting hammers on and having them be perfect as is), as I can  
feel the hammers, adjust them in more than one direction, actually  
influence the voice of the piano. I have the impression that there not  
too many techs who have the basic fundamental chops in that line of  
work, judging by all sorts of comments.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
fssturm at unm.edu
http://www.createculture.org/profile/FredSturm