Thanks Alan, Have you tried Ronsen on a Baldin D?  I know Baldwin's are a bit pingy-er traditionally, but is that just the Baldwin hammers?  I gotten lots of positive reccommendations for this particular piano although I don't think Richard West ever used them.  Most of the pianos I see around school have Renner or Abel. Nothing against either one.  Actually, my favorite is Wally Brooks/Abel Natural felt hammers.  I just wanted to try something that so many techs are endorsing.  This piano is used by undergrads, chiors, and orchestras (unless we have a MM or DMA or guest artist performing, then we use the Steinway D). In reality, I wish we could get a whole new belly, but for now, we have to go with just a stack replacement (Renner wips and shanks, etc). In the end, especially for two piano pieces, I want the Baldin to be able to "keep up" with the Steinway.  Everyone here loves the Steinway!  Whatever I put on will be an improvement,  The Baldwin action and hammers were toast probably several years ago, but until this year, it was on "loan" from the Lied Center for Performing Arts next door.  When I brought up the needs of the piano, they "donated" it to us!  They're having some budget issues, so I think it was an easy decision to unload it on us.   Oh well,  a pretty good piano for free! :>) Paul <table width=100%> <tr valign=top> <td width=40%>Alan McCoy <amccoy@mail.ewu.edu> Sent by: caut-bounces@ptg.org 04/16/2008 11:52 AM <table border> <tr valign=top> <td bgcolor=white> <div align=center>Please respond to College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org></div></table> <td width=59%> <table width=100%> <tr valign=top> <td> <div align=right>To</div> <td>"College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org>" <caut@ptg.org> <tr valign=top> <td> <div align=right>cc</div> <td> <tr valign=top> <td> <div align=right>Subject</div> <td>Re: [CAUT] Ronsen-Wurzen hammers</table> <table> <tr valign=top> <td> <td></table> </table> <tt>Hi Paul, One thing that disturbs me about these hammers, at least on the pianos I have put them on, is that they never give me the "clang" that I want at a fff dynamic level. They are nicely made, don't require much prep, and give a warm, dark tone quality, but in my experience with a fff blow all you get is more volume without as much change in the partial mix as I want. I have ended up juicing every set. If I could get a set of S&S hammers that were completely unaltered at the factory (long uncoved, unarced tails), I would use Steinway hammers. I happen to like the sound I can get using lacquer, so I will  go back to using Ronsen Bacon hammers with lacquer. Having said this though, so as not to be misunderstood, I do not like a bright piano sound that you get from hard hammers. The only time I want clang is at the highest dynamic levels, so the pianist has to work to get it, as opposed to those pianos that are pingy from the getgo at a pp level. FWIW. Alan -- Alan McCoy, RPT Eastern Washington University amccoy@mail.ewu.edu 509-359-4627 509-999-9512 > From: Paul T Williams <pwilliams4@unlnotes.unl.edu> > Reply-To: "College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org>" <caut@ptg.org> > Date: Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:01:13 -0500 > To: <caut@ptg.org> > Subject: [CAUT] Ronsen-Wurzen hammers > > Hi gang, > > This summer I'm rebuilding the action on our 1956 Baldwin D using Renner > shanks/flanges and wippens.  I'm also, per your previous reccommendations, > trying Ronsen-Wurzen hammers for the first time.  I have some time before > summer arrives to "prep" the parts, weigh off the shanks, check pinning, > etc.  My question is; What sort of pre-voicing should be done with these > hammers?  Do they require pre-filing, juicing, needling etc.?  They're > already bored, tapered and tails shaped nicely. > > Thanks for any input! > > Paul T. Williams RPT > Univ. of Nebraska </tt>