alcohol voicing (was: Reactionary curmudgeon)

[Susan Kline]

At 10:37 AM 08/31/2000 -0600, John Musselwhite wrote:
>Evercleer is almost pure alcohol and not available over the counter here. 
>I hope I've been spelling it right. Vodka has water in it already as well 
>as a few impurities. See Susan's articles in the Journal or the list 
>archives on how to experiment with it.  The same goes for steam, although 
>that's Roger Jolly's balliwick.

When I'm voicing hammers down with alcohol, I cut the 190 proof (95% 
alcohol) with an equal amount of water, so it ends up vodka-like. Rubbing 
alcohol (isopropyl, I think it is ...) would probably work, but I have no 
idea how concentrated it is, or whether there's anything other than alcohol 
and water in it.

One brand here is called "Everclear" and another is called "Clear Spring." 
In Canada, I'd go to the Liquor Board store (if that is still where you buy 
hooch) and ask for bulk alcohol (grain alcohol), 190 proof, and see what 
they have. Another approach might be to cultivate the acquaintance of 
someone with a chem lab and see if he or she would part with some lab 
alcohol. Don't know how the price would compare. Luckily we don't need much 
for voicing hammers. I try just a couple of drops on the strike point, and 
see what I get, after about 10 minutes. I usually have to even things up, 
with a second dose or a little needling on a few. I find that soaking the 
shoulders leaves hammers too soft, usually.

I've just started wondering if I could voice through the strings with 
"vodka" (like voicing with the chopstick tool.) I have a few of those 
little plastic bottles which can be sealed by pulling up on the long 
plastic tube coming out the top. It might just be long enough to go through 
the strings, and just touch the strike point of the hammers. I think it's 
going to take some experimentation first, to be sure that none spills on 
the action, but it would be handy for a touch-up of the voicing, if I could 
control the flow well enough to get single drops on demand. I may see if 
the vodka comes out slower if the bottle is full (restrained by a little 
internal vacuum) or almost empty. I wouldn't want it splashing around in 
the action, though it might not actually do that much harm if just a drop 
or two went astray. I wouldn't want any on the strings, either, of course.

Susan