<html xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml"> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10 (filtered)"> <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> I would concur with that.  While the Wurzen felt hammers are firm, they maintain a high level of resilience which I don’t find in heat pressed hammers.  That resilience (which I define as the ability for the hammer to regain its original form after it is compressed) is important for how the tone develops over time.  Less resilient hammers, made so by the excessive use of heat in the pressing process, lose that resilience and while the tone may start off ok, it doesn’t do as well over time.    The Bacon felt hammers are softer and should be chosen where a softer hammer is more appropriate.  If you have to add a lot of lacquer to them then I think you should have chosen a firmer hammer to begin with.  Lacquer, in my view, also destroys resilience by virtue of the binding together of the felt fibers and because it continues to harden over time.  Resilience, again in my view, is essential for power without distortion and for maximum sustain.   <div> David Love davidlovepianos@comcast.net www.davidlovepianos.com </div> -----Original Message----- From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Porritt, David Sent: Friday, September 14, 2007 7:03 AM To: College and University Technicians Subject: Re: [CAUT] My take on them, (was The "new" S&S Hammers).   Ed:   I haven’t seen a Ronsen Bacon felt hammer for a long time but that’s what I understand also that the Bacon felt is softer.  My experience with the Wurzen AA felt ones has been very good.  The denser felting doesn’t pack like softer hammers, yet if they get bright needles penetrate quite easily.  I don’t have an electron microscope so my observations are very unscientific but the Wurzen felt seems just more dense from the felting process rather than the hammer pressing process.  >From what I heard of the testing on a new Walter grand, the Bacon felt was better on the very live sounding board assembly.  On most sounding boards that we see the Bacon felt needs some hardener.    Try a set of the Wurzen AAs I think you’ll really like them.   dp   David M. Porritt, RPT <a href="dporritt@smu.edu">dporritt@smu.edu</a>   <div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'> From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of A440A@aol.com Sent: Friday, September 14, 2007 6:35 AM To: caut@ptg.org Subject: Re: [CAUT] My take on them, (was The "new" S&S Hammers). </div>   Hi David I would recommend trying a set of the Ronsen Wurzen hammers.  I think they'll work well with your approach to voicing. I think I am going to do just that.  I spoke with Roger Jolly recently and he mentioned that the Bacon felt hammers from Ronsen were softer,and would need some hardener in the extreme ends, but the AA wurzen felt was harder.  Do you have experience with these two different hammers? Thanks for the note, Ed Ed Foote RPT ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com </div> </body> </html>