Re voicing hammers

[Ric Brekne]

Hi Julia

"Touched in  the extremes" means a few drops of lacqure on the crown of 
the highest 5-8 notes and the lowest 4-5. It is  difficult to press an 
entire set of hammers so that the amount of needling needed to achieve a 
good voicing is even over the entire set. Usually either they press them 
all overly much to insure that all are hard enought to begin with, or 
you end up with the outer extremes being a bit too soft requiring a bit 
of hardner to beef them up.  Making them all "hard enough" generally 
yeilds a set of hammers that take strenuous effort to needle.

The word additive was a general word for whatever hardening agent you 
choose to use. 

Cheers
RicB

>/ , I just know my own ears like hammers that are needled 
/>/ >well, and perhaps slightly touched in the extremes with some additive
/
Greetings,

         What is "touched in the extremes" as you mention above? Is this the 
area of the hammer way way on the sides of the hammer's "bulb" shape or do you 
mean the area just outside of the "forbidden" 1 to 3mm strike point zone? 
Also, what "additive" are you referring to? acetone?

Thank Youp, 
Julia Gottshall
Reading, PA