Not I Corte, While it does work some it can be very hard to use on hard hammers with the three needles. Taking out two helps a lot to get the needle in, but then is twice as slow to get the wanted result. Joe Goss imatunr@srvinet.com www.mothergoosetools.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Corte Swearingen" <cswearingen@daigger.com> To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Friday, May 07, 2004 6:57 AM Subject: Re: ?? Voice ?? > > > > > > Hello, > > Since we are talking about voicing techniques, has anybody had much success > with that little upright voicing tool that Yamaha sells? This thing is > essentially a small L-shaped bracket that hold three needles. Considering > the size of this tool, it implies that you can voice an upright piano > without removing the action. I've tried using the tool and I find it way > too hard to slowly push the needles into the Yamaha hammers. I've given up > trying to use it but I have to assume it works well for some people. > > Corte Swearingen > Chicago > > > > "Barbara > Richmond" To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org> > <piano57@flash.ne cc: > t> Subject: Re: ?? Voice ?? > Sent by: > pianotech-bounces > @ptg.org > > > 05/07/2004 07:44 > AM > Please respond to > Pianotech > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Richard Brekne" <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no> > To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org> > Sent: Friday, May 07, 2004 4:48 AM > Subject: Re: ?? Voice ?? > > > > Barbara Richmond wrote: > > > > >Joe, > > > > > >Ok, I'll be brave. Pliers (vise grips) were sort of popular some years > > >back, but it seems they are politically incorrect these days. I learned > to > > >use them to soften up really hard shoulders (not lacquered ones!) to > make > > >needling possible where sustain was lacking. Using vise-grips would > cause > > >cupping on the shoulder and then next, one would needle enough to remove > the > > >cupping. Worked great to open up the sound on certain pianos. I won't > > >mention any names, but I learned it from factory tech reps--so somebody > > >thought it was OK back then. ;-) Aw heck, things go in and out of > > >fashion, except perhaps for orange shag carpeting and flocked wallpaper. > > > > > > > > > > > I think we are talking about two different levels of voicing here. You > > have your <<standard do what it takes to make a so and so piano > > useable>> type of job... and you have your <<critical concert top level > > for the most discerning of pianists>> type of situation. > > Well, you may be talking about two different levels of voicing here, I was > just talking about Joe's question about the use of pliers (and in this > case, > using pliers reduced the incidence of broken needles). Of course different > methods are used in different situations--that's why we have so many tricks > in our bags. Heck, I've only been in the business since 1982 [so I'm just > a > babe :-) ], but my experience has proven to me that there isn't a > one-method-that-fits-all. In my world a great deal of voicing gets done > besides that on the concert stage or recording studio. > > > > For the later we are not just talking about getting them soft enough... > > or insuring a bit of sustain. It should be entirely unnecessary to > > have to resort to any draconian measures for these kinds of jobs. > > Whether you are using soft hammers that require hardener to achieve any > > semblance of tone, or tensioned hammers that need needling to bring out > > the tone. > > Aw, Ric, I hate it when we enter the realm of "shoulds." ;-) It would be > wonderful if the piano world was perfect and we all had great hammers to > work with. I was just talking about what worked for certain pianos here in > reality. And actually, after these pianos were "opened" up they WERE great > pianos to work with (and play!). In fact, it was precisely this method, or > I should say, its results that drew attention to my work and ability to > voice so that a university called me up and offered me a position. Yes, > just like that! I'll admit, some of these pianos were only in studios at a > university, not a concert hall, but very capable pianists were playing on > them. > > I guess I could shock you further to tell you about working on a Steinway B > in at a faculty member's home. Of all the Bs I worked on, it had the most > beautiful sound [my opinion--and I've got a good one ;-) ]. > Unfortunately, > the owner, one of my pickiest clients, suffered from tinnitus and she > wanted > me to take it down a notch. I scheduled a whole morning to do the work. > Got there, loaded the needles into the voicing tool and started > stabbing.........nothing........dang! After 15 minutes of notta, I got out > some hammer softening solution. 2 or 3 drops on each hammer and five > minutes later the piano was done. She was ecstatic, said the piano was > perfect. My disappointment was that I finished so fast--I was planning on > making a bunch of money that morning! > > No, I'm not suggesting that folks go out and drench Steinway B hammers (or > any other hammer for that matter) with hammer softening solution. A little > dab worked in this case. Sandpaper and needles are always first, but the > trick is to know when to use the tricks! > > My passion for "all things voicing" got a jump start very early in my > career. One of the very first pianos I went out to tune was a Baldwin > Acrosonic. The owner asked me if I could make it less bright. And though > I > had a vague idea, I really didn't know what do. After that experience, I > promised myself that I was NEVER going to be in that situation again. > > Cheers to you! > > Barbara (you said you'd like that voiced?) Richmond > > > > > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > > > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >
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