Hammer Types

[Erwinspiano at aol.com]

Ric wrote
> If you need a BIG sound, you need to go to a  bigger (heavier) hammer and
> you will need to make sure the leverage of  the instrument can handle your
> choice. Ok.. thats a statement as if of  fact... and I know there are folks
> who dispute the mass/soundlevel  conection.  But my experience is such.

I would like to hear more  about the mass/sound level connection.  What would 
be the heaviest SW  you've ever gone with?  (Yeah, I know it has to work with 
the rest of  the action geometry.)  I can't remember from the last time I was 
 
testing parts on a D.  How much help (or not) was a bigger  knuckle?

Barbara

Hi Barbara
          Ric's  point about heavier hammers is well taken but IMO most of 
the volume increase  will be from about note 52 down to the bottom & generally 
the hammer  will need to be stiffer to produce similar high partial blend to a 
more  usual/normal weight hammer. The reason is it will take more time for the 
kinetic  energy to be released into the string & more time for the hammer to 
reverse  directions & this can be a real tone killer in the treble octaves.  
Ie. I don't like using more than a 6 gram hammer on C-64 in  general.
    Otherwise with the heavier hammer the sound  can be come too fundamental 
laden.  But it's just a voicing issue.   Too heavy a hammer  in the treble 
means more potential due to damping by  the hammer, as the fundamental created by 
the initial pulse wave gets back  to the hammer before it leaves the string.
  I personally like the shine that shows up in the  overall tone with the 
presence of even a small amount of lacquer in the  hammers.  I'm installing a les 
stiff set of Renner blues in a 70's Hamburg  D presently & I know that they 
need & will easily tolerate a thin  solution of Laquer acetone or keytop & 
plastic.   I will  get the tone I want.  
    BTW The original Renner  hammers tend  to be a pretty beefy hammer weight 
wise. If you want to know I'll send the specs  later along with the action 
ratio.
  Regards
  Dale
>
>    Hmm, I  was actually wondering about the power issue, since I've
>     heard more
>    than once concerns about Renner hammers cutting  through the
>    orchestra in a
>    bigger  hall.  I've never heard of a problem with a Hamburg Steinway
>   being
>    heard.  There is a possibility that I  *may* have another big, not as
>    big,
>     but still big, dead hall to try to fill.  :)  Since I hear  oo-la-las
>    about
>    Hamburg Steinway  pianos (Yes, I understand that this is a NY piano) and
>     groaning about the hammers coming out of NY, I thought I'd test  out
>    Hamburg
>    hammers as another  possibility.
  Actually I find the Hammers coming out the factory to be  quite good right 
now.  I just installed a set in a 70's B that were pretty  much instant music 
after shaping to a serpintine shape & the usual weight  prepping for an even 
strike weights. I have added very samll amounts of juice in  the treble & the 
sound is lush fat & rich. Not clangy &  thin.

>
>
>    Barbara  Richmond, RPT
>    near Peoria, IL
>


 
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