<HTML><HTML>greetings,             When the = bass hammers of a particular turn of the century upright are played they sou= nd "tubby", a very "round" dull sound. Would these hammers be a candidate fo= r hardening solution or is it the strings' quality? I think it is the hammer= s because the bass hammers have hardly any grooves and show little wear. Suggestions? Julia Gottchall, Reading, PA</HTML>