[pianotech] 1904 Stwy A strike line

[Dale Erwin]

I sent this thru  previously but I suspect 3 pic. was too much. I'll send the pics separately


Hi all

My eyes always appreciate finding clear and salient examples of original factory protocols that work and school us as to what was done in the factory and how we should proceed if we are to be tonally successful in rebuilding these relics. In spite of our collective desire to make everything microscopically straight and true in our work, optimizing tone in these pianos is dictated by the tone alone. Here is proof positive of what I've been saying for many years now. Strike lines in Stwys pianos ( and others for that matter) are not necessarily installed in a straight line, and should not be in most cases. This is true for the treble only.
   This is an original set of Stwy Factory Weickert felt hammers on original shanks. The shanks are pre-verdigris and every pin is solid. 
    The strike line as shown is what I've been finding by aurally(by ear) on this model for many years. My hope anyone rebuilding one of these benefits from these pictures as a tutorial on how to install replacement hammers on an A Stwy ( all stwy models).
   The Weickert felt on these hammers shows no signs of ever being chemically treated and they still sound reasonably good all though obviously worn out. The felt is so soft as to be scary. I can bury a large no. 1 needle into any hammer anywhere on the hammer and it feels like the density of marshmallows. A slightly denser marshmallow over the top. I can pinch the shoulders with my fingers and its a frighteningly spongy feel. What does this mean? To me it means that this piano sounded soft and wooly for decades before subsequent hammer wear owing to elongated string marks and compaction beefed up the tone. I've seen other examples of these hammers similarly and wondered how this hammer created the sound that made the piano famous. 
FWIW As of 4 years ago, the newly re-introduced "Weickert special" felt, its trade name, is in my opinion quite a different animal and superior to the original product in consistency. 
( To clear up any confusion surrounding this felt;...Currently only Ronsen and Renner have access to this felt for hammers sold here in the USA. They're known as the the Ronsen Weickert special or Renner Weickert felt, called Blue points. Not to be confused with Renner Blues ).
  These hammers are processed and pressed differently but I find them to be complementary products
   I understand how hammers are produced and my conjecture is that in all the primordial ages of hammer making, that felt density varied and subsequent hammer stiffness as well. I've sampled  at least a hundred sets of these old Weickerts and found that many had some signs of chemical hardening as evidenced by plunging needles into the felt to test density. After sampling hundreds of sets of Ronsen Weickert I find the felt much denser and stiffer by far, more consistent, yet pliable and easily needled. 
  The new and old versions of the Weickert felt do exhibit and share some wonderful characteristics though. Are the 2 choices of Weickert felt hammers available perfect hammers? No...but neither is any other. My opinion is they are both great voicing platform for many applications
  1. An immediate abundance of sustain and wearability second to none. 
  2. A dark but clear tone in so many cases. Yes, the felt is rarely needled but more commonly its tone out of the box or it is lightly juiced to achieve tonal balance.
3. Even when lightly juiced needles can easily penetrate and wearability is largely unaffected.
4. Break in time is greatly extended


 One example. :
 Trix and I restrung and re-hammered an 11 yr old Yamaha C-7 on a cruise ship in S.F. last year. This C-7 was used so frequently in those 11 years that its  hammers  succeeded in breaking countless strings both plain and bass. The piano was in av very dead space.
 Initially the set of Ronsens "Weickert special" we  installed were lightly juiced (10 to 1 acetone and lac) to a nice present level but without the crashy sound one expects from a Yamaha. Expecting the hammers to brighten in this industrial use setting would be normal. A year later, my friend Lou the usual technician called to say he was thinking about brightening the hammers a bit. My question was why,.... surely they've played in by now. I asked if the musicians were requesting it. He said no. My advice was to leave them alone. To be clear;The piano is played in the main cruise ship lounge nightly with a small ensemble and drummer, so my expectation is its played vigorously and often.
This piano went from being, to my ear,  a mediocre C-7 to a legitimate sounding C-7
Dale
 


Dale Erwin R.P.T.
Erwin's Piano Restoration Inc.
 Mason & Hamlin/Steinway/U.S. pianos
www.Erwinspiano.com
Phone: 209-577-8397

 
  



 

 

 
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