Voicing New Hamburg Steinway Hammers

David Love davidlovepianos@hotmail.com
Thu, 25 Jan 2001 05:11:27 -0000


List:

I am installing a set of hammers on a Hamburg Steinway D (1972).  The 
customer wants to maintain the same character as the original so I am using 
a factory set of hammers.  Though I am very familiar with Renner Blues, 
Abel, NY Steinway hammers, etc., I don't believe that I have ever worked up 
a set of HS hammers out of the box.  My question has to do with overall 
technique including the preneedling techniques.  My research suggests that 
such heavy needling is required prior to installation because the hammer is 
so hard that a caul is used to support the hammer during this process.  I 
recall reading an article in the journal a year or two back where a European 
concert tech described starting his pre needling below the staple!!!  
(Seemed a bit excentric.) And by the time he was done, the hammer was so 
mishapen that it required considerable reshaping.  I would appreciate any 
comments or directions to any good literature on this particular hammer.

Thanks,

David Love
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