<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"/>  <style>  </style>  </head> <body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> We have a set of Wurzens on a Reduced size keyboard for a NY D in a recital hall.  The top octave was mildly doped when we got the action.  I’ve like the sound very much but the professor who teaches the reduced-action students wanted it brighter.  Over Spring Break I lightly doped all of them with acetone/keytop mixture and they are nice now.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> On the practice room pianos, I hung them and did nothing else.  Those pianos are too loud in the practice rooms regardless.  They have a nice sound but in a large hall you’d want a little more.  Of the 7 newer Steinways that still have NY hammers; none is in a large enough room to want more sound.  I did tune the very newest one yesterday and while it is loud enough for the small room, the tone is pretty dull and uninteresting.  There is mellow and warm and then there’s dull.  I don’t like dull, but then some do!<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 Chris Solliday Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 8:23 AM To: College and University Technicians Subject: Re: [CAUT] Hammer wear<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div> David, Could you describe (perhaps again) the difference in reinforcement necessary for good tone between the two? And in specific generalities comparative voicing techniques? Did you get the latest 8:1 lacquer "dipped" before cutting to reduce cupping generation of Steinway hammer?<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Chris Solliday <o:p></o:p> </div> <blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt; margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt'> <div> ----- Original Message ----- <o:p></o:p> </div> <div style='font-color:black'> From: <a href="mailto:dporritt@mail.smu.edu" title="dporritt@mail.smu.edu">Porritt, David</a> <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> To: <a href="mailto:caut@ptg.org" title="caut@ptg.org">College and University Technicians</a> <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 9:15 AM<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Subject: [CAUT] Hammer wear<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <o:p> </o:p> </div> 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> </blockquote> </div> </body> </html>