Steinway Hammers

[Erwinpiano]

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 Terry and list
        Just got back from Reno.  I spent all day at the Stwy& sons =
presentation.  It does appear that intelligent and thoughtful changes =
are being slowly incoporated into parts making as my previous post =
supported. The company has new and very expensive parts machining =
equipment that has obvious quality enhancment benifits of action parts. =
They have invested about a million $ a year to improve the parts =
division.
       I did handle a set of hammers at the booth that looked better and =
denser feeling but what I'm being told by many peole using them is that =
many sets are still requiring 3 applications of 3 to 1 laquer! If thats =
the case I still can't jump up and down about using them. My prefrence =
would be to start with a bit denser felted hammer,meaning one that is =
more firmly pressed from its manufacture and one  that I can get the  =
tone I like with a minimum  or less than 3 applications of juice
    . Experience tells me the more juice needed to get tone the more =
problematic is the voicing process and potential for error in over =
juicing.
     That being said I really  love the sound of a properly and =
judiously  laquered hammer. This is the way Steinway has always =
developed there sound and people like it including me.There is a sound =
that comes thru that is a warmer, clearer and more(complex) =
interesting(I.M.H.O.) than the hard hot pressed vareitys(Totally My =
bias).  The down side is that laquer (not plastics)voicing takes more =
time to set up get hard and changes over time.
    That being said I'm going to try a set. I like there shape, the =
molding and especially the amount of felt that sits over the top of the =
hammer in all octaves but especially octaves 5 and 6(The money notes) =
I'm very familiar with the felt being used and its from a top quality =
domestic source (the Bacon Felt company).  If any of you listers are =
trying a set remember they are a way  heavier than old original sets. I =
will still get mine unbored and will fully taper and weight prep them =
myself.=20
   If the piano is in the shop applying multiple sets of juice is not =
such a big deal but if you are traveling back and forth some where far =
it's very expensive to return multiple times to check on the progress.
  I always listen to the raw set before applying any hardner.  It's a =
conservative approach and it just makes sense until one is completely =
familiar with a given product(style of hammer).
    One last word concerning the action parts is that Kent webbs portion =
of the presentation was one That is suggesting rather loudly that one =
size fits all situations.  Meaning that a 17mm knuckle placement and the =
new wippens will work equally well for touch and regulation on all the =
stwy actions.  And it just ain't so. Any of us who have been doing this =
kind of work for some time know that because of the stwy actions =
floating capstan line that the geometry is and can be radically =
different from action to action. Hence the pre- 1984 parts and the =
current parts of varying dimensions. It pays to make the right choices =
here and that begins with a thorough anlysis prior to ordering parts.
 =20
      Dale Erwin
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Farrell=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2001 4:20 AM
  Subject: Re: New and improved Steinway parts.BUT not the hammers!


  I went to an Arlington class by Nick Gravagne about how wonerful the =
new S&S hammers are (and other parts). If I am understanding your post =
correctly, the soggy hammers you refer to are the original hammers off a =
S&S built at least 6 years ago? So this may not be representative of the =
"new and improved" S&S hammers. The ones we used in class were real nice =
right out of the box with just a little shaping, etc. He even advocated =
trying them with any juicing to see how you like 'em. They are indeed =
real mellow before juicing - but within the realm of a real piano hammer =
- definately within the range for those that like that real soft, dark, =
mellow sound.

  Grappling with Square-One in Piano Hammer Technology
  Terry Farrell =20
    ----- Original Message -----=20
    From: Erwinpiano=20
    To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
    Sent: Monday, July 09, 2001 11:13 PM
    Subject: Fw: New and improved Steinway parts.BUT not the hammers!


    Hi Rodger

      I forgot to tell you that at this point in time I do not use the =
Stwy hammers.  Yeah I know many who do.  Resilient felt is one thing and =
flabby is another and I just plain like to know what I'm getting.  I =
just changed off a set that came with a 6 ish yr.old model L"The =
Immortal series" turn of the century  style case.  Nice board no =
tone.Soggy hammers. I could push them all over the molding with my =
thumb. Just my humble opinion and preference but I've had trouble with =
hammers I had to douse  with 2 to1 or 3 to 1 lacquer to make tone. Often =
by the  time the hammers start to speak it's hard or Impossible to get =
needles in.
      However I would use factory hammers if they were better but to my =
knowledge the presses and procedures are still the same.

         Enough said. Flame suit at the ready.
        Dale Erwin
      =20


    ----- Original Message -----=20
    From: jolly roger=20
    To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
    Sent: Sunday, July 08, 2001 7:50 AM
    Subject: Re: New and improved Steinway parts.



      Last month I installed a new set of h/s/f. I thought they turned =
out OK.=20
      Anything in particular you need to know about?=20

      Wim=20
    Hi Wim,
                  Looking for a consensus of consistency of fit, and =
accuracy of mfg.
    Roger



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