<html> <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=blue> <div class=Section1> It can be that the hammers are not a good match for the board, as it seems to have been in your case.  A softer hammer will help filter out some of the unwanted upper partials that, I assume, contributed to the “mean” quality.  Often, a nasally sound has to do with lack of resilience in the hammer which influences hammer string contact time and how the tone develops.  Of course soundboard response can’t be overlooked either.  I like to think of tone as having three phases: attack, development, sustain.  The interaction between the hammer and the soundboard can influence all three phases.  For example, a harsh attack can be a function of a loose board or a too hard hammer but is usually some combination.  A distorted development phase can be a function of a hammer which is too heavy for the board and sustain problems can be a function of a board which lacks adequate stiffness (or mass depending on the section) or a hammer which lacks proper resilience influencing hammer/string contact time, or both.  Whatever the case, matching the hammer to the board with a clear tonal goal in mind is important.  Obviously, voicing gives some wiggle room but should, in my view, be used mostly for the wiggle and not for the big shake.  Ideally, the hammer should start out pretty close to your tonal goal and depending on the soundboard response (and string scale) that requirement will change.       <div> David Love davidlovepianos@comcast.net www.davidlovepianos.com </div> <div> On Dec 8, 2007 3:46 PM, Barbara Richmond <<a href="mailto:piano57@insightbb.com">piano57@insightbb.com</a>> wrote: A model 240 Seiler that I've worked on for years was very nasally and mean sounding. I changed to  lighter and softer hammers.  It sounds a lot better and the nasal quality is gone.  So what's to blame, the hammers or the soundboard? Barbara Richmond, RPT near Peoria, Illinois <div> <div> </div> </div> </div>   </div> </body> </html>