<HTML style="FONT-SIZE: x-small; FONT-FAMILY: MS Sans Serif"><HEAD> <META charset=UTF-8 http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1226" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif">One thing I have found on new Steinways is that the hammers are rarely filed adequately.  Before pouring on a lot of lacquer, I would be sure that the hammers are filed down to the denser felt.  The stuff on the top tends to be fluff.  When installing new hammers I generally bench file them and often take off several mm's of felt --the final shape is important too.  That filing often focuses the tone very well and lets you know just where you may need additional hardening.  Heavy filing once the hammers are installed is always a bit more trouble but it must be done to give the tone that focus and bloom.  If the hammers needs several applications of 2:1 lacquer, it's a bad set of hammers and they should probably be replaced.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV>David Love</DIV> <DIV><A href="mailto:davidlovepianos@earthlink.net">davidlovepianos@earthlink.net</A></DIV> <DIV> </DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=Wimblees@aol.com href="mailto:Wimblees@aol.com"></A></DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To: </B><A title=caut@ptg.org href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">caut@ptg.org</A></DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> 12/1/2003 1:19:39 PM </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> It's Alive!!!!</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT size=2> <DIV>Well, actually, it's dead. At least that is what Olga Kern told me last week. She was here to give a recital. I prepped our new D, and put it in the middle of the stage. At 6:30 I stopped by to see if there was anything she needed. She said, "This piano is dead." I said it was only a year old, and had probably only been played about a dozen times. She said, it sounded like it. I should have kept my mouth shut, but I offered her our 14 year D, which was sittting off stage. After playing just 3 chords, she said she wanted to play the recital on that piano, but only after warming up on it. I had 15 minutes to tune it before the doors opened. Unfortunately, by the end of the fist half, there were several notes that didn't make it. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>But that is not what I'm here to complain about. Olga was not the first pianist to complain about the new piano. Last March Misha Dichter had the same complaint. (but at least he gave me 2 hours to prep the older piano). My question is, how do I put more "life" into a new piano? As I said, the piano only comes out of it's hiding place for special occasions. (No, sun down is not a special occasion here in Alabama, especially not on Sundays.) Since we got the piano in August of last year, there have been about 12 performances on it. The piano is voiced, regulated, etc., so I don't quite understand when a performer says there is no life in the piano. Not even our piano faculty agrees with that, although they do think the piano is a little stiffer than the older one. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Any advice will be greatly appreciated. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Wim</DIV> <DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial size=2 PTSIZE="10" FAMILY="SANSSERIF">Willem Blees, RPT<BR>Piano tuner/technician<BR>School of Music<BR>University of Alabama<BR></FONT></DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>