Steinway hammers

[Wimblees@aol.com]

In a message dated 98-06-05 18:37:32 EDT, you write:

>Hi !
>
>I recently signed onto your list and am extremely impressed with some of the
>technical discussions - I never realized piano technology was such an art!
>
>I have one question for which an answer will make me forever indebted to you
>folks.....
>
>I have a new "B".  At this point, I am having this instrument tuned every 2
>months.  Is it "normal" to also need a full voicing that frequently?  In
>order
>to get one "voice", my technician had to extensively voice 80 of the 88
>hammers to match a few odd-balls.  The resulting sound was extremely muffled,
>but evenly voiced.  He told me that the hardening agent was very unevenly
>applied to the hammers at the factory.  I am a trained pianist, and I can
>attest to the fact that he truly did a remarkable job in voicing -- something
>the dealer tech, even after two attempts, could not do !  (I am hanging on to
>this new tech!)  I understand the cold-press/hot-press difference and that
>Steinway hammers are more variable than most, but is the variance I have
>described excessive/typical/acceptable from a new "B" ?  I am considering
>having the hammers replaced because since the last voicing, I have driven the
>piano only about 20 hours (with "elevator music"), and the odd-balls are
>already prominently sticking out of the aural terrain.
>
>Thank you.
>
>



Voicing is something that is done on an "as needed" basis, depending on the
amount of use a piano gets, or the desires of the player.  If you are the only
one who plays the piano, there should not be a need to constantly voice the
whole piano.  You have to tell the technician what sound you like, and what
you don't like, and then it is the technicains job to try to voice only those
hammers that stick out. If you leave the decision to the technician, then the
piano will sound like he wants it to sound, not the way you want it to sound. 

Communication is the key here. I would suggest you become an active
participant in the voicing proceedure. Tell the tech which notes stand out,
and ask him to voice that hammer to match the ones around it. 

If there is a problem that seems to come back after a short time, tell the
tech about it. 

Willem Bees RPT
St. louis