USING JUICES reply

[Avery Todd]

Rogerio,

   I have to agree with James and Jim. Many years ago, I used two sets of
these on two 5' - 5-1/2' type of grands. Both sets were extremely hard.
   One went on a Kimball that was in a church auditorium and the first
comment made after it was delivered was "Hey, that sounds like a Steinway",
referring, I'm sure, to older pianos he'd heard with over-lacquered
hammers. It actually sounded pretty good out in the auditorium, but in the
closed-in area where the piano was located, the volume was almost
deafening.
   Unless they've changed, don't even CONSIDER putting hardener on them
until you've heard them in the piano. Just my opinion.

Avery

>Hi Rogerio,
>This is my PERSONAL opinion.  I replaced the hammers on my Mason & Hamlin A
>about 15-20 years ago with Imadegawa hammers.  I have been sorry for my
>mistake ever since.  They are very hard and took away my great tone.  Note
>that this is my personal opinion.  I would think twice about what hammers
>you reinstall and get other opinions first.
>James Grebe

>Rogerio;
> I have had limited experience with these hammers...the reason is that they
>are so hard as received from the company.  I would not use any type of
>hardener before the hammers were installed and you can tell where they are.
>  The next time you have a fine old piano like the Bechstein to rehammer you
>might want to try a set of Renner Blues or Encore standards, these seem to fit
>the instrument better than the IMADEGAWA.
>Jim Bryant (FL)

>----------
>> From: Rogerio Cunha <rogeriocunha@openlink.com.br>
>> To: Pianoteck Mensagem <pianotech@ptg.org>
>> Subject: USING JUICES
>> Date: Monday, June 01, 1998 6:42 PM
>>
>> To the list.
>> I am restoring  German upright  ( Beckstein ) and I wiil change all the
>> hammers of it. To do this I blought from APSCO a set of IMADEGAWA
>> hammers  - part number 2412JMNBS -. I am reading some discussions on the
>> list abourt the difference between the European hammers and American
>> hammers ( I couldn't to read nothing about Japonese hammers) and I need
>> that the Imadegawa hammers that I have be so hard as the European
>> hammers. To do this I have a juice of lacquer and acetone as I read
>> sometime ago on the PTG forum. QUESTIONS:
>> 1 - What is the better way in order to do this? Before or after the
>> instalation of the hammers ?
>> 2 - How many drops to apply and where? Together of the wood? In both
>> sides or in one side ?
>> 3 - After this if a hammer is more hard than I wish is easy to voicing
>> it?
>> Rogerio Cunha - IC Member of the Guild - Rio de Janeiro.


___________________________
Avery Todd, RPT
Moores School of Music
University of Houston
Houston, TX 77204-4893
713-743-3226
atodd@uh.edu
http://www.music.uh.edu/

MUSIC DEFINITIONS:
   Accelerando : what happens when drummers have to keep a steady beat.