Hi David: I'll throw in my two cents, since Dale has given me the nudge, nudge. Let me start by stating my protocol. I have worked for a very long time with harder pressed hammers, such as the Renner Blues and many of the Abels, and feel that I have developed my needling skills to a fair degree of expertise. It is something that I have worked hard at for many years to master to the best of my ability. So my past preferences have been towards those kinds of hammers. Most recently, the Abel Naturals had become my preferred hammer for tonal reasons and workability. Dale asked me to be one of his crash test dummies for these new hammers and I looked forward to the opportunity, putting them on a 1911 Mason & Hamlin A with a new board. It is always my protocol with a new set of hammers to pick a few samples and poke them with a needle and see what happens. If it gets worse, I stop and seek other alternatives; if it gets better I keep playing with my needles to hear where they want to go. It is my experience that almost every hammer will be improved by needling, and I prefer to get as much as I can by needling before I reach for the dope bottle. Of course, you will need to be assured that enough felt has been removed by filing to get away from soft outer felt. When I know a hammer make, I typically gang pre-file in a jig before boring and hanging. And I usually pre-voice the hammers by needling in the jig also. This set of Weikert hammers being the first, I waited until the hammers were hung to file and needle after listening. The outer felt is pretty soft and there is a lot of it. So expect to do a healthy filing to get to the harder felt. I think these hammers would be improved if the hammer maker did most of this pre-filing, and then leaves the rest to each of us to season to taste. My experience with deep needling was positive. I started out in the bass and middle part of the piano with 6 sets of three, staggered and done from 9:15 to 11:30. I was able to use a voicing tool with three needles, which is nice. The felt is soft enough to allow that, but with a wonderful springiness that you can feel with the needle. The sound really opened up a fair amount, with a significant pickup in sustain and the hammers got brighter. The sound gained more body, and a creamy blend of the harmonics started to develop. I really liked the sound I was getting. And it is that wonderful cold pressed sound that we used to be able to get with the old hammers. I have experienced some "rebounding", where some of the hammers get too bright and need to be voiced down a bit. But it is not that endless rebounding you sometimes get with the Blues. I would like to have a bit more "punch" to the sound, so I have doped the lower shoulders to put that fist in the glove. The high treble and the bass are still too soft in the iteration that I have, and will need some further doping on the crown likely. I have also polished the felt with papers up to 400 grit so far, and may go up to 1200 or more in the bass and tenor. I believe these hammers have wonderful potential. Dale and Ray see these as a work in progress and are steadily moving forward in refining them. I think they are a wonderful addition to our hammer selections, and I favor their sound over the Renners or the Abels at this point. For those of you who have not worked a set of these yet, I would say that there is a learning curve that comes in with them as they are different enough from what we are used to. Particularly with your first set, you are really going to need to pay attention and listen a lot as you go. But, once you establish a protocol, I don't think you'll find them difficult to work with, and the results will be worth your efforts. Let me close by saying that each of us develops methodologies in voicing over a period of time. We find what gives us the best results for what our ear wants to hear. Dale has worked these hammers differently than I have. But I have heard Dale's work, and he gets wonderful results. So Vive La Difference. I hope you find my contribution useful. Will Truitt From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of erwinspiano at aol.com Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2009 7:21 AM To: ilvey at sbcglobal.net; pianotech at ptg.org Subject: Re: [pianotech] Weickert special felt update David I have not had to do this yet but the depths of this felt is yet to be plumbed. As one of my testers,Will Truit. can speak to that. Dale -----Subject: Re: [pianotech] Weickert special felt update So Dale, you don't need to deep needle in the shoulders? David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, CA 94044 Received: 2/13/2009 10:08:05 PM Subject: [pianotech] Weickert special felt update Just a brief note: I just today installed a set of Concert density Weickerts special felt in my own Steinway B & they are awesome. I wanted something more from the piano & these hammers deliver. Fantastic clarity in the top half of the piano. It's a bit dark like the D in the bottom end I posted about but I'm going to file & iron it a bit and give it some time to work things out. This piano was at convention last year in the rebuilders gallery. Some notes may need even need a bit of light needling soon to open up the tone but so far I'm thrilled. The piano will go to convention as is with just filing, string mating & a couple tunings pounded in. Fantastic color/ power the bottom end Needs play in but the piano sounds like it just got a 6 inches longer. If any are coming to the convention come by the booth and say hi or to the Ronsen Class. The piano will be played in class to demonstrate these hammers. By the way Jack Brand of Wurzen is giving his Felt Class which is sponsored by Ronsen piano hammer & Renner USA. Ray/Dale Rick Baldassin & Lloyd Meyer will be present to lend support & answer any questions but Jack will have the Bully pulpit. Cheers Dale _____ Carnations mean admiration, Tulips mean love - what do Roses mean? <http://shopping.aol.com/articles/2009/02/02/flowers-by-meanings/?ncid=AOLCO MMshopdrspwebf0001> Find out now! _____ Carnations mean admiration, Tulips mean love - what do Roses mean? <http://shopping.aol.com/articles/2009/02/02/flowers-by-meanings/?ncid=AOLCO MMshopdrspwebf0001> Find out now! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech_ptg.org/attachments/20090214/bdde56d6/attachment-0001.html>
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