steinway over hardened hammer

[Richard Brekne]

I agree  David. 

Tho I think Horace is saying that if hammers have been treated very 
carefully either way... then there is a certain degree of leeway left 
both ways.  Thats probably true as far as it goes and for what its 
worth. But the sad fact is that most times hammers when first soaked are 
really and truly soaked.  Heck, half the hammers you buy are already 
completly soaked down in the battery area.

Point being very much what you cite below.  Lacquer destroys the hammers 
ability to release its tension when directionally towards the crown, and 
hammers that dont have this tension to begin with are in that 
perspective already destroyed from the get go. 

Cheers
RicB

David Love wrote:

>While I agree that an overneedled hammer will not respond in the same way,
>you can usually tap some reserve out of a tensioned hammer by needling down
>near the staple--battery needling, I think Andre O. refers to it. I must
>say that I have never seen a hammer such as a Renner or Abel hammer, one
>that is designed to be voiced with needles rather than lacquer, and that
>has been lacquered, respond by getting louder or brighter when needling in
>the shoulder. The application of lacquer on these types of hammers usually
>ruins them. Nor have I seen a lacquered hammer (one that is designed to be
>lacquered) get brighter or louder with needling. If you want that type of
>hammer to get louder, you have to add more juice (or mass). 
> 
>David Love
>davidlovepianos@earthlink.net
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