Hi, Paul, Nick has excellent advice here...very well thought through. The additional note I would offer is that, from a traditional (older) standpoint, it's best to listen to the hammers in the piano before doing anything to them; and then to proceed with other voicing techniques. This step allows you to determine how much of what (if anything) might be necessary. Generally, the hammers will need at least some shaping (though fortunately no where near as much as was required some years ago), before adding any hardening solution, at all. Such shaping should be in line with what you have also determined to be the appropriate weight for the hammer, and should also be fairly complete...that is, hammers fitted to strings, "polished", etc...so that they are actually in the ballpark of where they will be as an end product. People always seem to be amazed how much difference simply shaping the hammers will make. After that, I do try (when it's possible) to hear the piano again before adding hardener. Depending on your perception of the needs of the instrument, I agree with Nick that I generally prefer to add a solution between 4:1 and 6:1 in strength, to the shoulder areas he notes. If you are not familiar with this process, you might try using either lacquer sanding sealer and/or lacquer thinner rather than lacquer and/or acetone for a few sets until you find your way. The advantage of sanding sealer is that it tends to break down (and can be added to later without prejudice); and that of lacquer thinner is that it works more slowly, allowing you to more accurately gauge where the solution is flowing in the hammers. (If you do use lacquer thinner, plan on allowing your solution to harden overnight before testing.) While using acetone will definitely speed this process up, it flashes off so quickly that, especially if you are new to this kind of work, you might not actually see where the solution is going, and thus wind up with uneven "doses" of hardener throughout the hammer set. One other note, which I do recognize is both old-fashioned and currently controversial (although it is not my intent to be so): Needling, as presently taught, produces a clearly audibly discernable difference in tone than using the older technique of working through the shoulders up toward the crown. The questions become those of artistic perception and individual concepts of what constitutes "good"/"acceptable" piano tone. PLUG: If we have time during the classes I'm scheduled to teach at WESTPAC, we'll have some listening examples of different voicing styles as well as recording techniques. One additional point is that piano voicing, especially as to S&S products, has morphed dramatically over the years. Factory and concert techniques are different, and have been different (by and large) for many decades specifically because different purposes are being served. One size does not fit all; and it rapidly becomes a question of how our individual techniques as technicians intersect with and/or compliment the musical demands made by artists of different schools, ages, and capabilities. Best. Horace At 09:38 AM 1/31/2011, you wrote: >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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