Substitutes for Steinway Factory Hammers

[Erwinspiano at aol.com]

To all  hammerheads
   Now that Steinway innovation has once  again screwed up there hammers 
again, by filling them with some unspecified  solution (I suspect plastic), I can 
no longer use them to get the tone I  was able to get before.  With my favored 
way of building tone It was  necessary to start with a dark sound & build it 
with lacquer which I humbly  admit...I was pretty good at.
  The last set of Steinway  hammers I installed required  about 100 needle 
strokes a piece in the  tenor region. This was a 70's German D. 
    I politely expressed my  objections to Chad in the parts department & 
returned two other sets. If you  are unhappy with the current Steinway poduct 
please politely express it  to  Chad & ask if the old version can be had as well. 
 David Hughes & I  have done so already & have encouraged others to do the 
same.  As you  all know ,I support anyone doing a good job in our industry who 
provides us with  the parts that we rely on & feedback in a positive form is 
the only  viable alternative to initiating manufacturing changes.  imo
  Long story short, I am just getting the  preliminary results with a set of 
the Bacon Felt hammers from Ray Negron at  Ronsen.  My test case is 1953 
Steinway B with a VERY good original  board.  My first test hammers revealed a nice 
dark tone & a huge amount  of the sustain.  Bingo...this for me is the best 
place in the world to  start. I always prefile before installiing but that's 
all ...no pre  needling or juicing.
  When the internal friction of a given type  of a felt is creating that kind 
of sustain, for me , I know that I can  develop a really powerful clear tone. 
I think this is why David Love,Bruce  Stevens & others are loving this 
hammer.  The old (Steinway)  American co. felt when it was pressed right had these 
same  characteristics.
  Any way I did proceed to use some lacquer  in the bass & lighter solution 
on my test hammers & the piano just came  alive.  Holy Cow!!!  SO easy to get 
the tone I was looking for.   Classic Steinway Sound
  The Bonus is I don't have to depend on the  Mother ship for supplies of 
hammers costing twice as  much.
     This felt isn't as soft as you  may assume from my post & I suspect a 
bit of filing with fine sandpaper  & perhaps a bit of ironing will suffice to 
develop tone further in many  pianos & for many of you.  
   I will report as these  hammers develop & as I use them on the next piano 
which is a 1922  Steinway D in pristine condition with an amaazzingly well 
preserved board. 
  Yes we have some out here in La La  land.  Eat your heart out! 
   Best to  all
   Dale
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