<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)"> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PostalCode"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName"/>  <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> Eric:<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Yes these are on Steinways.  We just have 10 locked rooms for piano performance majors and they are all Steinways (5 Ms, 4 Ls and 1B).  They get constant, hard use.  I don’t think there could be an hour a day difference in the use as we really need more rooms and they are used hard all day.  I’ve not only been pleased with the durability of the Wurzens but kind of shocked!<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I’m no authority on NY Steinway hammers as the only pianos that have them are new ones.  When those wear out they are replaced with Renner Blues in the past, or Ronsen Wurzens now.  Out of 37 Steinways that we have, only 7 still have NY hammers.  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> dp<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> David M. Porritt<o:p></o:p> <a href="mailto:dporritt@smu.edu">dporritt@smu.edu</a><o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </div> From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Wolfley, Eric (wolfleel) Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 8:48 AM To: College and University Technicians Subject: Re: [CAUT] Hammer wear<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> David,<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Did you put Wurtzens on your Steinways?<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Our Steinway hammers wear fast here as well but it is because they are played significantly more hours than any others. We have 5 Steinway L’s in our locked piano major rooms and those rooms are never vacant. Unless you monitor the hours the pianos are being played I don’t think it is a fair comparison. My experience with the NY Steinway hammers is that they are the most durable and for that reason worth the extra expense when compared to Ronsens and others. Abels and the regular Ronsens are eaten up very quickly in comparison. I have just recently begun putting Ronsen Wurtzen on some <st1:place w:st="on">Baldwins</st1:place> and am happy with the tone but the verdict is still out on durability.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> Eric Wolfley, RPT Head Piano Technician Cincinnati College-Conservatory of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Music</st1:PlaceName> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cincinnati</st1:City></st1:PlaceName></st1:place> <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <div style='margin-left:.5in'> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </div> </div> From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Porritt, David Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 9:16 AM To: <st1:PersonName w:st="on">College and University Technicians</st1:PersonName> Subject: [CAUT] Hammer wear<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> Wim mentioned the other day the difference in hammer wear and wondered if different pianists playing technique had anything to do with it.  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I tried to take pictures to post, but the camera I have here doesn’t have good enough macro functions to really show good detail.  We have 2 M’s bought in 2004 that are in practice rooms.  I filed the hammers in the summer of 2005 because the grooves were deep from a year of hard use.  Also in the summer of 2005 I hung 5 sets of Ronsen Wurzen hammers on practice room pianos.  All of these get similar use.  The Wurzen hammers look like the hammers were installed last week and the NY Steinway hammers are again fairly seriously grooved.  I can only attribute that to felt density.  While they are not hard pressed, the raw felt is just denser than other hammers.  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I’ve become a real believer!<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> dp <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> __________________________<o:p></o:p> David M. Porritt, RPT<o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Meadows</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">School</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> of the Arts<o:p></o:p> Southern <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Methodist</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType></st1:place><o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Dallas</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">TX</st1:State> <st1:PostalCode w:st="on">75275</st1:PostalCode></st1:place><o:p></o:p> <a href="mailto:dporritt@smu.edu">dporritt@smu.edu</a><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> </div> </body> </html>