kneading hammers

[David Love]

Any set of hammers that needs pliers for voicing ought to be replaced.  

 

David Love
davidlovepianos at comcast.net
www.davidlovepianos.com 

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Erwinspiano at aol.com
Sent: Monday, June 04, 2007 6:42 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: kneading hammers

 

  Hi Rupert

  I have done my share of this in the past but never on a real quality set
of hammer.  It is in my Opinion, that this is a technique reserved for
poorly made/ or petrified felt type hammers.  I consider it the last final
act of voicing desperation.  Also on some pianos it makes a change for the
better in a short amount of time & my ears don't hurt so much. i.e. spinets,
over heated & shrunken hammers or over juiced.  The muted sound you mention
comes from using pliers too far up on the hammer which cups the crown
rendering the strike surface un level.

  It also may be just the  pre voicing on some hammers need so that one can
actually finish up & refine the job with some needling.  All hammer voicing
manipulations are redistributing the densities of the hammer thereby by
moving the felt fibers thus making them more ...or less....linear in there
ability to produce tonal spectrum.

  Dale

My original query cited Howe's book, which turns out
to be the Revised 3rd edition of 1963 (not 1948 when
it was first published - sorry about that).

On p.61 he says:
   "Another method of softening the hammers has proved
   satisfactory: Take a pair of gas-pliers and squeeze
   the felt in both directions alternately: in other 
   words, knead it with the pliers".

So far this idea of alternate directions has not been
mentioned by contributors.

( The idea that the tone can also be strengthened is
intriguing me (see below).  Seeing most contributors
have said avoid squeezing the tip, it would seem that
they would have strengthened the tone rather than
mellow it by squeezing elsewhere.  Most contributors 
have said squeezing is like a lot of needling - which
always softens does it not? )

I am now very interested in what exactly happens to
the
fibers of felt when it is needled / squeezed.

I did do a gentle lateral pliers squeezing on my old
Bluthner upright, and have done no permanent damage:
in fact, after a few weeks playing it sounds much
better to me, although it was a bit muffled
immediately afterwards.  Further experiments will be
confined to my wife's spinnette!


Rupert

 





  _____  

See what's free at AOL.com <http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503> . 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20070604/39247c03/attachment.html