<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1597" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY
style="WORD-WRAP: break-word; khtml-nbsp-mode: space; khtml-line-break: after-white-space"
bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>In fact Steinway has been reinforcing hammers
chemically since at least 1911. It may not have been lacquer per se
but... see the discussion in Piano Tone Building recently edited by Del
Fandrich and available from The Foundation. You've got to go along way to
find hammers with no reinforcement in Steinway's history. As Fred implies
we can learn to work with these hammers, and frankly despite attempts at
conformity and consistency every set from every manufacturer has and always will
be different (such indulgent hyperbole) so you've got to learn to build
tone and knock it down, both brillance and carry.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I for one am grateful. If tone weren't such an
issue I wouldn't have as strong a reason to get out of bed in the morning, and
we all know what the absence of that could lead to.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Chris Solliday</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=fssturm@unm.edu href="mailto:fssturm@unm.edu">Fred Sturm</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=caut@ptg.org
href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">College and University Technicians</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, September 21, 2007 7:59
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [CAUT] S&S Hammers and
lacquer</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>On Sep 21, 2007, at 12:30 PM, Jeff Tanner wrote:</DIV><BR
class=Apple-interchange-newline>
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; apple-text-size-adjust: auto; orphans: 2; widows: 2">
<DIV>And so, if hammers were replaced by technicians in the field who didn't
know to, didn't know how to, or chose not to use lacquer or shellac, this
would explain why someone would find hammers from a NY 1920s D to not
contain anything but felt.</DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>My question would have to be that if the ideal hammer was one that did
not require lacquer -- if the sound they are looking for really required a
hammer that did not require lacquer, then why spend $1 million plus
<<recently>> on a new hammer press to manufacture hammers that
still require lacquer? How much sense does that make?</DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>Why not just call up Renner and say, hey guys, pick up production --
we're switching to your Wurzen hammers because they produce the sound we've
always been searching for?</DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>Jeff</DIV></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR>
<DIV>Hi Jeff,</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=Apple-tab-span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre"></SPAN>I don't think
you can argue that there was a grand design way back when (1920 or before) to
create the Steinway sound via felt impregnated with hardener. I agree that
they have decided today that that is the way they want to go, without excuses
or regrets, but I think they got there slowly. That's what the history I have
been able to gather tells me, regardless of the "official line" that "they
have always been that way." That's why I included the anecdote about Franz
Mohr in my earlier post. Why wouldn't the chief C & A tech be clued in if
this was really a planned company policy? Franz is one of the most true blue
Steinway guys around, and will tell you endlessly what a perfect instrument it
is. So why would he, just a year ago or so, tell me that the reason they used
lacquer in the 60s and 70s was because the hammers they had those days weren't
good enough? It just doesn't add up. </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=Apple-tab-span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre"></SPAN>I'm happy with
current policy and production. I can work with it, and lots of pianists and
techs are satisfied, regardless of other arguments. But let's not try to
re-write history. <BR>
<DIV>
<DIV>Regards,</DIV>
<DIV>Fred Sturm</DIV>
<DIV>University of New Mexico</DIV>
<DIV><A href="mailto:fssturm@unm.edu">fssturm@unm.edu</A></DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV></DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>