<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:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" 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 12 (filtered medium)"> <style>  </style>  </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> Steinway.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> David M. Porritt, RPT<o:p></o:p> <a href="mailto:dporritt@smu.edu">dporritt@smu.edu</a><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <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 Paul T Williams Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 1:09 PM To: College and University Technicians Subject: Re: [CAUT] Ronsen-Wurzen hammers<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> This hall is pretty good too and I think it seats around 700, but not positive....  Was your D a Baldwin or Steinway? Paul <o:p></o:p> <table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%'> <tr> <td width="40%" valign=top style='width:40.0%;padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> "Porritt, David" <dporritt@mail.smu.edu> Sent by: caut-bounces@ptg.org <o:p></o:p> 04/16/2008 01:04 PM <o:p></o:p> <table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellpadding=0> <tr> <td valign=top style='background:white;padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> Please respond to College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org><o:p></o:p> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td width="59%" valign=top style='width:59.0%;padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> <table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%'> <tr> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> To<o:p></o:p> </td> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> "College and University Technicians" <caut@ptg.org> <o:p></o:p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> cc<o:p></o:p> </td> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> Subject<o:p></o:p> </td> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> Re: [CAUT] Ronsen-Wurzen hammers<o:p></o:p> </td> </tr> </table> <o:p> </o:p> <table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0> <tr> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'></td> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <tt>I've put these on a D in a 500 seat recital hall and have to voice them</tt> <tt>down a couple times a year.  Acoustically it's a pretty nice hall</tt> <tt>though.</tt> <tt>dp</tt> <tt>David M. Porritt, RPT</tt> <tt>dporritt@smu.edu</tt> <tt>-----Original Message-----</tt> <tt>From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of</tt> <tt>Wolfley, Eric (wolfleel)</tt> <tt>Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 12:36 PM</tt> <tt>To: College and University Technicians</tt> <tt>Subject: Re: [CAUT] Ronsen-Wurzen hammers</tt> <tt>I've put a number of sets of Ronsen Wurtzen hammers on and I like them</tt> <tt>for our practice rooms but I've had an experience similar to Alan's.</tt> <tt>Without lacquer they seem to be missing something at all volumes, even</tt> <tt>for a practice room. At the minimum I'll soak them from the mid-tenor on</tt> <tt>up and often soak the whole set. You have to needle them back down after</tt> <tt>doing this of course but they then have a good strong core for a wider</tt> <tt>dynamic range. They sound nice after doing this plus I've found that if</tt> <tt>hammers are voiced too soft the kids just pound harder to get tone out</tt> <tt>of the piano. From my experience I can't imagine using these hammers</tt> <tt>"straight out of the box". That being said, I still like them a lot</tt> <tt>though I wouldn't put them on a performance piano.</tt> <tt>Eric</tt> <tt>Eric Wolfley, RPT</tt> <tt>Director of Piano Services</tt> <tt>College-Conservatory of Music</tt> <tt>University of Cincinnati</tt> <tt>-----Original Message-----</tt> <tt>From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of</tt> <tt>Alan McCoy</tt> <tt>Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 12:41 PM</tt> <tt>To: College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org></tt> <tt>Subject: Re: [CAUT] Ronsen-Wurzen hammers</tt> <tt>Hi Paul,</tt> <tt>One thing that disturbs me about these hammers, at least on the pianos I</tt> <tt>have put them on, is that they never give me the "clang" that I want at</tt> <tt>a</tt> <tt>fff dynamic level. They are nicely made, don't require much prep, and</tt> <tt>give a</tt> <tt>warm, dark tone quality, but in my experience with a fff blow all you</tt> <tt>get is</tt> <tt>more volume without as much change in the partial mix as I want. I have</tt> <tt>ended up juicing every set. If I could get a set of S&S hammers that</tt> <tt>were</tt> <tt>completely unaltered at the factory (long uncoved, unarced tails), I</tt> <tt>would</tt> <tt>use Steinway hammers. I happen to like the sound I can get using</tt> <tt>lacquer, so</tt> <tt>I will  go back to using Ronsen Bacon hammers with lacquer. Having said</tt> <tt>this</tt> <tt>though, so as not to be misunderstood, I do not like a bright piano</tt> <tt>sound</tt> <tt>that you get from hard hammers. The only time I want clang is at the</tt> <tt>highest</tt> <tt>dynamic levels, so the pianist has to work to get it, as opposed to</tt> <tt>those</tt> <tt>pianos that are pingy from the getgo at a pp level.</tt> <tt>FWIW.</tt> <tt>Alan</tt> <tt>-- Alan McCoy, RPT</tt> <tt>Eastern Washington University</tt> <tt>amccoy@mail.ewu.edu</tt> <tt>509-359-4627</tt> <tt>509-999-9512</tt> <tt>> From: Paul T Williams <pwilliams4@unlnotes.unl.edu></tt> <tt>> Reply-To: "College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org>"</tt> <tt><caut@ptg.org></tt> <tt>> Date: Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:01:13 -0500</tt> <tt>> To: <caut@ptg.org></tt> <tt>> Subject: [CAUT] Ronsen-Wurzen hammers</tt> <tt>> </tt> <tt>> Hi gang,</tt> <tt>> </tt> <tt>> This summer I'm rebuilding the action on our 1956 Baldwin D using</tt> <tt>Renner</tt> <tt>> shanks/flanges and wippens.  I'm also, per your previous</tt> <tt>reccommendations,</tt> <tt>> trying Ronsen-Wurzen hammers for the first time.  I have some time</tt> <tt>before</tt> <tt>> summer arrives to "prep" the parts, weigh off the shanks, check</tt> <tt>pinning,</tt> <tt>> etc.  My question is; What sort of pre-voicing should be done with</tt> <tt>these</tt> <tt>> hammers?  Do they require pre-filing, juicing, needling etc.?  They're</tt> <tt>> already bored, tapered and tails shaped nicely.</tt> <tt>> </tt> <tt>> Thanks for any input!</tt> <tt>> </tt> <tt>> Paul T. Williams RPT</tt> <tt>> Univ. of Nebraska</tt> <o:p></o:p> </div> </body> </html>