Hi Paul, Can we have more info here? How old is this D? It appears that you hung a new set of S&S NY hammers, and the instrument sounds too dull. Could you flesh this out a bit more. For example, besides finding worn out hammers, what can you tell us about the tone? Were you able to get a reasonable sense of the inherent tone quality and quantity (aka is the belly giving forth or not), did you pluck the strings, for example, or hang some temporary hammers of any other maker somewhere in the scale to get a "look-see"? Were you getting complaints from the players? Depending on any particular NY hammer set it is very likely that a top-to-bottom juicing is necessary. I have heard that some sets are coming out of NY pre-lacquered, and to varying degrees at that (I have heard one such set). As to overdoing it with the juice, as long as you can insert needles (or even a single needle) fairly easily you are in no danger. A S&S D is a performance piano, and these typically need to be toned-up considerably. But is this what your player/s want? Those experienced with S&S NY hammers have been known to brighten them up to just past the point of having gone too far (also, this comes from the S&S voicing classes as given by E. Shandall and J. Patton), then backing them off with well placed single needle shots directly down in the crown, and at each string groove. 4:1 (a 5 part mixture, BTW) is as strong as I generally go, but mostly to soak shoulders at the 9 -11 o'clock and 3 - 1 o'clock positions. This will focus the tone (or begin to, anyway), but not necessarily build all the available power, which (more or less) comes from a hard nodule of felt compression density/juice living directly under the crown and above the point of the molding. Paul, you are an excellent pianist! Now is the time to be objective. Are you really getting the power you need as things stand now? You have done the right thing in consulting this list, but in order for the best guidance we would need (I would anyway) more initial info followed by ongoing feedback. Thanks! On Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 6:56 AM, Paul Milesi, RPT <paul at pmpiano.com> wrote: > Thank you, Al. I did do a second application last evening on the top two > sections of this D, using more like 3 or 4:1. Also, I did stir the gallon > of lacquer this time just to be sure. Your clarifications are much > appreciated! Thank you. > > How likely is it that ALL the hammers of a set (Steinway) would need > juicing? I did do the middle section the first time because it seemed a > little weak, but left it out of the second application because I didn’t want > to overdo it. > > Paul Milesi, RPT > Washington, DC > (202) 667-3136 > E-mail: paul at pmpiano.com > Website: http://www.pmpiano.com > > > ________________________________ >
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