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voicing</title></head><body>
<div>David,</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>I had a similar situation recently where I "warmed up"
the tone of a Hamburg Steinway D in a 1200 seat hall for André Watts
in a solo recital, and two weeks later needed it brought back up a
notch or two for Murray Perahia for use with a chamber orchestra in a
3000 seat hall.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Take a small piece of music wire, perhaps 17 or 18 gauge, and dip
it in your favorite keytop solution. Then quickly lay it across
a string groove in one of the hammers you want to
"brighten". Repeat this process for each string
groove. Two or three applications may be necessary. This
will give just a bit more edge, without any big voicing consequences,
since the hardener does not penetrate beyond the surface of the felt,
and without any change to the UC voicing.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>When the piano is returned to its permanent home, you can lightly
file away the residue, or just give the hammers a light brush or two
with a suede brush and you are back in business.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>This works like a charm with the hard compressed hammers one
finds in Asian and European instruments, because the basic foundation
of firm felt is already there, and it is only the surface that needs a
boost. It is also great for lazy technicians like me, who do not
want to have to do extensive voicing after juicing!</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Good luck,</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Charles</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>We got our new Yamaha CFIIIS 3 weeks ago,
and it is very nice. Nice round tone perfect for our 500 seat
recital hall.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Now, next week it will be moved to the
Meyerson Symphony Hall to be used in a concerto. Our
artist-in-residence likes the sound as it is now for our hall, but in
competing with the orchestra next week, wants some extra "zip"
to the top octave or so.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Can anyone thing of an appropriate way to
voice this up, then successfully bring it back down after the concerto
performance? Unless I hear some better idea, I'll probably
keytop the last octave or so, then steam it down when it gets back.
I really hate doing this to a brand new piano, but.... On the
other hand, I guess this is why Yamaha sells replacement
hammers!</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>dave</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>
<hr></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>David M.<font face="Times New Roman"
color="#000000"> Porritt</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><a
href="mailto:dporritt@swbell.net">dporritt@swbell.net</a></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Meadows School of the Arts</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Southern Methodist
University</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Dallas, TX 75275</blockquote>
<div><br></div>
<div>-- <br>
Charles Ball, RPT<br>
School of Music<br>
University of Texas at Austin<br>
ckball@mail.utexas.edu</div>
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