Reqest: an answer to a poor European gringo

[Joel Rappaport]

André and List:

At the Bösendorfer factory, hammer filing is done (or was done in the
1970's when I worked there and probably for 100 years before that) with
a rectangular wooden "paddle" covered with orange 60 grit sandpaper. 
André's description, below, of listening to the hammer-shank "tone" is
very accurate, but we used it during voicing.  I am not familiar with
using the technique during tuning.  It was so convenient to lift a
handful of hammers and strike each hammer with the edge of the paddle. 
It's very easy to hear any shank that is "dead" or very unlike those
around it.  The offending shank would be replaced.  Try the test
sometime when you are sitting there with the action in your lap.

Now, to dry André's tears:
> 
> It took me some time to put the (english) words together

It takes some of us some time, also, to put English words together. 
That may be reason #1 for our delay in answering.

> my last words to y'all

The use of the word "y'all" is not authorized to those who were not born
in, or do not live in the southern USA.  Wives who are native
southerners do not count. :-) [just kidding]  Y'all know that André's
wife is American.......
Let's not get into the use of the word "gringo," mi amigo!

I personally know exactly what you mean about waiting for an answer.  I
recently asked a colleague from the Netherlands when he was headed to
northern Germany and he has not responded.  [Hint, hint, André]

> I feel left out.....snif...
> I am dissappointed...snif...[snip]
> A stern and firm senior with tons of wisdom?
> A motherly pianotechnica with a piano heart of GOLD?
> A bright young genius, a piano brat who dares to kick some middle aged shins?
> 

How can you feel left out and disappointed when you make some of the
most interesting contributions to the group?  What can we say?  And look
at the categories you want to put us in:  a senior, a mother (there are
different connotations to that one), a brat.  No wonder we hesitate! 
OK, that was in your second message but we knew in advance what you were
thinking.

Back to the technical stuff.  With regard to different techniques to
thin the sides of treble hammer shanks, I never worry about that.  The
sets of grand shanks we use from Renner come with the 18 or so top
treble shanks already thin.  A quick call to Renner USA will most likely
identify the appropriate set to order.

Hope this has helped in several ways.

Joel Rappaport
Round Rock, Texas

André wrote:
>Dear colleagues,
>One of the things I have heard about, is affecting the tone (of a grand 
>piano) by working on the hammer shank. 
>At one time, I was for a learning period in the Bösendorfer factory, and I 
>had trouble with tuning a certain tone in the treble.
>I complained about this to the instructor, and what he did amazed me....
>First he took out the action, pulled the hammers upwards, and tapped on 
>the heads with a piece of wood.
>He then discovered that the hammer that gave me trouble, gave a different 
>sound. it was either higher or lower in pitch.
>He took out the hammer, pulled off the hammerhead and replaced the shank 
>with another one after having made sure that the pitch of the hammershank 
>was about the same as the neighboring shanks. 
>After this procedure tuning was, as I recently learned from you (english 
>speaking) guys, "a breeze"...(I like that one! and I will now use it many 
>times... so if you already know yet a new expression, do >yourself< a 
>favour!!!)
>
>Now...I do understand why the treble hammers in more expensive instruments 
>have been made thinner, but I have also heard, that one could "voice" the 
>sound by "working" on the shank, by scraping off some wood hear and there.
>I do not have actual experience with this and I am sure that amongst us 
>there will be some giant who has more accurate knowledge about this.
>
>As I read many posts about oval and round shanks, I understand that the 
>issue is weight and volume (w&v).
>I am for the moment however curious about the alteration of the shank, not 
>for the sake of loudness, but for subtle changes in timbre.
>