hammer felt (Renner Blues)

[Isaac OLEG]

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David
The one I had did not really respond to voicing in the shoulders, as being
too mushy there. May be with a few deep stitches from the start it could
gain some more active resilience.
As it was the tension was almost none, but very nice felt indeed.

Renner use this felt since a few years, and I believe actually on all their
hammers. The problem they have is that the molding they buy (I understand
that they don't do that themselves) are more stiffer than before, and they
don't like to make hammers with that sharp wooden molding as in some
Steinway, Bechstein, etc.

I suspect that the Wurzen Felt, being softer, is more prone to be damaged if
forced on a sharp molding. Beside, of course they would hate to break the
moldings in the gluing process, and that is more the case with thin moldings
of course.
Nowadays, All actual hammers, for Steinways, and other makes, are generally
thicker wood, and this felt that techs are often wondering how to treat.

But of course "nothing never changed " will be told you if you ask.


I had to needle a C1 hammer (on a Yamaha G2) , and indeed 30 stitches was
the maximum in the medium (for first voicing), a bit too much near the
break. In the treble I begin to voice at 9:30, but finally was obliged to go
back from the low regions, as the strength was not enough.

I will see that again after a bit of playing, I guess the natural sound of
this felt is enough as it is, not really crisp, mellow and round but
forcefully enough.
It will be clearer in time, but not at all as the tone of the old Yamaha
hammers, so metallic, I for sure like it better (and C1 C2 hammer assembly
for Yamahas are cheap (around $430).

Regards and good Sunday

Isaac OLEG
  -----Message d'origine-----
  De : pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]De la
part de David Love
  Envoyé : samedi 21 septembre 2002 18:08
  À : Pianotech
  Objet : Re: hammer felt


  According to a fairly recent conversation I had with Lloyd Meyer, Renner
blues are Wurzen felt.  The Renner blue is somewhat softer than its European
counterpart.  Where Andre is needing 30 stitches in the tenor, a Renner blue
will need considerably less.

  David Love


  ----- Original Message -----
    From: Erwinspiano@aol.com
    To: pianotech@ptg.org
    Sent: September 21, 2002 8:06 AM
    Subject: Re: hammer felt


    In a message dated 9/21/2002 1:32:12 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
antares@euronet.nl writes:



      Subj:hammer felt
      Date:9/21/2002 1:32:12 AM Pacific Daylight Time
      From:antares@euronet.nl
      Reply-to:pianotech@ptg.org
      To:pianotech@ptg.org
      Sent from the Internet

               Antares


                I believe the only hammer like this in America cost about
800 dollars and it is sold by the Steinway factory. I heard a couple of
sample hammers in a piano and I confess I was impressed. But two hammers is
not really a fair assesment for me however  my friend has used a couple of
sets on larger steinways and he loved the sounds. But 800 bucks is to rich
for my blood. What do these hammers cost in Europe? If it's less than half
of 800 I'll try a set.
    Regards
        Dale Erwin



      And then I say (speaking from a long time experience) :

      Try the Renner hammers with Wurzen felt.
      I don't know about the 'Renner blues' made for the US market (maybe
they are
      made with lower tension because of your (American) way with hammer
dopes)
      but at least here in Europe the Renner hammers (with Wurzen) are the
very
      best hammers available and you find them on Bösendorfers, Bechsteins,
      Steinways and  other well known piano makers.
      Yamaha uses Wurzen on their CFIIIS and these days even Samick in Seoul
buys
      Wurzen felt.

      The Renner Wurzen hammers we use have the following characteristics :

      Nice, even tone from the beginning.
      Middle section needs some voicing and opening up (usually around 30
      strokes).
      Lower bass hammers, usually the first octave, need battery voicing
(driving
      up the powers from the base of the hammers).
      Higher treble hammers (from c''' to c'''') need battery voicing.
      The highest treble hammers, usually the last 5 or 6 hammers, need some
dope
      to give them a little more 'ping'.

      Just yesterday, I voiced an older baby Grotrian Steinweg grand with
these
      Renner hammers and it took me about 1 hour and 15 minutes to needle
them,
      file them, clean them up and apply the dope.

      Result :
      A nice, warm and even sounding Grotrian Steinweg baby with a 'ping' in
the
      high treble.

      By looking closely at the fibers of the Wurzen felt, and especially on
the
      sides, we clearly see that this felt is not just a dense, stone hard,
      lifeless piece of felt. On the contrary, it almost seems like it was
woven
      like a beautiful and very expensive Kashmir shawl and after hearing
the
      result, we can understand why, in the earlier days, the great piano
makers
      in Europe used this felt.
      Now that the Eastern part of Germany has been added to its former
halve, the
      factory has opened again, continuing to make what they had to
temporarily
      stop a long time ago.

      friendly greetings
      from

      Antares,

      Amsterdam, Holland

      "where music is, no harm can be"

      visit my website at :  http://www.concertpianoservice.nl/





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