Hammer Types

[Ric Brekne]

Hi Barbara

Couple things... In answer to holding to a SW line... there is nothing 
that prevents you from creating your own SW curve here.  Thats one of 
the beauties of the Stanwood methodology... first and foremost (IMHO) it 
is a system for balancing the leverage.  You're only <<restriction>> is 
to use SW's that are usable for the existing leverage... which implies a 
limit on FW and is indeed the source of those FW maximums we keep 
hearing about.  But... if you are going for example for a 38gram  BW 
spec and your leverage is around 5.5 or so... you are perfectly free to 
design in a curve that starts at 3/4 medium and ends at 1/4 highs.  
Indeed, S&S seem to use a default flatter curve then Stanwoods default.  
David S. should really pipe in here as he has lots of good stuff to say 
on that subject.

As far as the <<big>> bit on hammers I mentioned in my last point.  Dale 
hit the point on the head.  Of course you can only go so far... and to 
some degree that is goverened again by our tastes. But at some point 
even looking away from touchweight concerns... any hammer will just get 
plain too big.  Tho I had never thought of it in the way Dale hints at 
below before... I think I agree that you would first notice the over 
heaviness of a hammer set in the treble region. The reasoning he gives 
is good for sure.

Cheers
RicB


    Hi Dale,

    Thanks for your response.  Yes, I'd be interested in seeing the
    specs.  I certainly agree and have experienced the results of a too
    heavy hammer in the treble.  My biggest concern (as in the past) is
    power.  The last piano I did for an <impossible hall> had enough
    power if the right pianist was playing it.  Actually, there was only
    one instance when I felt the piano was lacking and there was a
    discussion on this list of the pianist's role in projection.  If I
    had that piano to do over again, there are a few things I would
    change--even though the response to the piano was very positive. 
    So, now I might be facing another <impossible hall> and I know I
    will have to experiement further with hammer weight.  Do you follow
    a SW line all the way through the piano, or do you go heavier lower
    and then jump down in the treble?

    Thanks.

    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, dad 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