<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" = xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" = xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <meta name=ProgId content=Word.Document> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 9"> <meta name=Originator content="Microsoft Word 9"> <link rel=File-List href="cid:filelist.xml@01C3B98B.907FC070">  <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US style='tab-interval:.5in'> <div class=Section1> J= eff,<o:p></o:p> <= ![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p></span= > I= ’ve been in the same situation before even on hammers that I’ve soaked 3 = times in 2:1 lacquer. The 4th soaking did the job…got it to that magic place = where it was transferring just the right kind of energy to the soundboard. Heavier hammers need = much more juicing in general and some hammers are definitely more porous than = others. My guess would be that piano #2 has bigger, heavier hammers. Lack of = “color” or “dullness” generally means not enough upper partials so I think you are on the = right track. You will awaken the sleeping = giant.<o:p></o:p> <= ![if = !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p>= ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<o:p></o:p> Eric Wolfley<o:p></o:p> Head Piano Technician<o:p></o:p> Cincinnati College-Conservatory of = Music<o:p></o:p> University of Cincinnati<o:p></o:p> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<o:p></o:p> = <![if = !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p>= -----Original Message----- From: Jeff Tanner [mailto:jtanner@mozart.music.sc.edu] Sent: Wednesday, = December 03, 2003 11:15 AM To: College and = University Technicians Subject: Re: It's = Alive!!!! <![if = !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p> Wim, <o:p></o:p>= As I have posted before, we have = 2 D's both 1993 manufacture, carefully selected at the same time by our = faculty. It didn't take long however, for one to become the instrument almost = everybody plays, and the other sits in the corner, with rare exception, until = both pianos are needed simultaneously. The reason is that there is not as much life = to the tone. It's not that the second piano hasn't been played in - 8 1/2 = years of occasional playing should have accomplished that I would think (we = didn't take possession of it until Fall '95). <o:p></o:p>= <![if = !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p>= The second piano is capable of = plenty of dynamic ranges, just like the primary instrument, but I've been looking = at why they seem to feel one has life and the other does not. It is difficult = to get needles into the hammers of the primary instrument, but on the second = one, you can bury them almost by dropping the weight of the voicing tool. Plenty = loud when needed, but not much life - er, "color". Plucking = strings reveals that the hammers simply are not getting all they can out of the strings. All I do for voicing the piano with the harder hammers is to = sweeten the strike point once in a while and everyone loves it. = <o:p></o:p>= <![if = !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p>= So, I'm going to try lacquering = the way Ron Conors described how he does it at the convention this summer. My = goal is to get to it after the semester ends, so I'll let you know if that = serves as the Fairy Godmother. It is time for Cinderella to go to the ball. = <o:p></o:p>= <![if = !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p>= Jeff <o:p></o:p>= <![if = !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p>= On Monday, December 1, 2003, at = 04:19 PM, Wimblees@aol.com wrote: <o:p></o:p> <![if = !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p>= 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. <o:p></o:p>   <o:p></o:p>= 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. = <o:p></o:p>=   <o:p></o:p>= Any advice will be greatly = appreciated. <o:p></o:p>=   <o:p></o:p>= Wim <o:p></o:p>= Willem Blees, = RPT <o:p></o:p>= Piano = tuner/technician <o:p></o:p>= School of = Music <o:p></o:p>= University of = Alabama <o:p></o:p>= </div> </body> </html>