"I remember talking to David Durbin from Yamaha about steaming hammers and he wasn't too keen on it." Same here - I talked with him at the convention booth and he was not hearing my take on steam voicing. "I am interested in the steaming procedure but >have heard that it is very easy to oversteam hammers and once you've done >that, they are ruined. Can anyone give a specific procedure for hammer >steaming?" After attending Roger Jolly's class on steam voicing in Chicago, I am convinced that steam voicing is just one more great "tool" to pick from when voicing. My only complaint so far is that finding a 12" by 4" piece of linen today, it was hopeless. Ask Roger Jolly to send you a copy of the handout from his class. It's good. Jay Mercier > >Corte Swearingen >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Baldwin Yamaha Piano Centre" <baldwin@mta-01.sk.sympatico.ca> >To: <pianotech@ptg.org> >Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2002 2:01 PM >Subject: Re: Voicing the new piano > > > > Hi David, > > A very light steaming over the crown every 6 months can > > greatly extend the life of those hammers. We have done it with some U1's >in > > University practice studios for 5 yrs now, and no reshaping as of yet. >The > > light steaming will just pop the grooves out. Dry iron after to set the >felt. > > Less invasive than needling. > > Regards Roger > > > > At 11:28 PM 7/10/02 -0700, you wrote: > > >These are SF Ballet's studio pianos. Played by high level musicians >for > > >high level dance. Classes always use pianists and pianos. We just > > >swapped our 20 year old Kawais for the Yamahas. I'm looking for some > > >discussion on what is happening with the piano hammer over time, > > >especially with the new hammer. I think I'll probably hold off on the > > >Ronsen hammers for awhile...;-] I'm not particularly keen on steam but >as > > >I get desperate who knows? Right now the pianos sound wonderful and I > > >have this fantasy of keeping them that way...;-] > > > > > >David I. > > > > > > > > >----- Original message ----------------------------------------> > > >From: David Love <davidlovepianos@earthlink.net> > > >To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > > >Received: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 21:53:43 -0700 > > >Subject: Re: Voicing the new piano > > > > > > >What are the expectations on the pianos and what are they used for? >Are > > > >they practice pianos? Teaching pianos? New pianos or old pianos? >My > > > >experience is that heavily used Yamaha's are difficult to keep voiced >to an > > > >acceptable level without less traditional methods such as steaming. > > > >Steaming is also an easy method for voicing down the uprights where >the > > > >hammers are not so needle accessible. Overall the pianos will >benefit >from > > > >string seating, proper hammer shaping and fitting. If the clangy >rattly > > > >sounds disappear when you mute the duplex on the tuning pin side (on >the > > > >grands), and if you are not steaming, shoulder needling followed by >single > > > >needles inserted off the strike point straight down parallel to the >moulding > > > >will eliminate those noises). Heavily used Yamaha hammers are a >challenge. > > > >A more radical move would be changing the hammers to a nice soft >Ronsen > > > >hammer which will do wonders for voicing stability and rounding out >the > > > >tone. > > > > > > >Generally, the hammer will compact most quickly over the crown, more >slowly > > > >in the shoulder. > > > > > > >David Love > > > > > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- > > > >From: "David Ilvedson" <ilvey@sbcglobal.net> > > > >To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > > > >Sent: July 10, 2002 5:41 PM > > > >Subject: Voicing the new piano > > > > > > > > > >List, > > > > > > >I would interested in hearing input about maintaining new pianos. > > > >Particularly voicing. I have a new fleet of 9 Yamaha pianos (is that >a > > > >fleet?) I am servicing on a very regular basis...carte blanc. 1 C5, >3 >C2s, > > > >3 U1s and 2 P22s. Another P22 in the near future. These pianos are >played > > > >6 days a week for several hours each day. > > > > > > >How does playing affect the new hammer, or any hammer? Where is the > > > >compaction taking place? What do you do with the clangy, rattlely >sound in > > > >the trebIe when it shows in ugly face. I have my own techniques, but >I'm > > > >interested in what others do. > > > > > > >Thanks in advance > > > > > > >David I. > > > > Roger > > Jay Mercier Associate member, Twin Cities Chapter PTG Glenwood, MN _________________________________________________________________ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC