<HTML>In a message dated 7/3/2002 7:57:57 AM Pacific Daylight Time, Erwinspiano writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Subj:Re: Night And Day Date:7/3/2002 7:57:57 AM Pacific Daylight Time From:<A HREF="mailto:Erwinspiano">Erwinspiano</A> To:<A HREF="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> In a message dated 7/1/2002 7:59:26 PM Pacific Daylight Time, mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Subj:Re: Night And Day Date:7/1/2002 7:59:26 PM Pacific Daylight Time From:<A HREF="mailto:mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com">mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com</A> Reply-to:<A HREF="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> To:<A HREF="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> Sent from the Internet      Hi  Terry</BLOCKQUOTE>      I don't think you are all wet. But I do think much of this discussion is about hammer and voicing preference based on experience     Some years ago When Bob Davis and I taught our Everyday voicing class we installed 13 different hammers in the middle octave of the piano. We used a stwy because our samples were on stwy shanks. We then set out and voiced this octave as well as we could. Mind you these hammers were all different weights and 13 different makes. Some had sloder wrapped around the shanks for weight etc.     During class we would play the octave several times chromatically and then ask if the octaves voicing sounded uniform and also what kind of hammers did folks think these were.      Usually a majority of the folks thought the voicing was quite good and were astounded when we'd pull out this action with a hodge podge of hammers.   Our point was that  familiarity of all voicing styles and tricks along with a proper understanding about how hammers produce tone would allow the tech to be able to voice any brand of hammer.   I think what you'll find is that any piano with a decently designed soundboard system can be voiced/hammered with a variety of different makers hammers and sound great and in many many cases far superior to the original sound of the original equipment.    That being said I think that some vague generalitys can be made. Stiffer soundboard systems seem to require more hammer weight and more felt stiffness.    My experience says that softer more reselient hammers give me personally a tone/color I prefer even if I have to juice it up which I'm totally comfortable with. But I've voiced quite hard Abels in several Mason A's which sounded like glass when raw and the pianos sounded incredible after I literally pulverized the hammers with needles including many deep stiches into the crown. Did it sound good?yes. Do I think the hammer needed to be that hard to start with? I didn't think so.    My prefrence is I don't like to do that much needling. It shouldn't be necessary.   Also voicing stability should be and is a major  concern. The more I find I must needle, the faster the hammers rebound to there original harsh sound and more frequent voicing is required, and clients don't really appreciate that if it's too often.   I find the softer more reseileint hammers even when lacquered ( or whateverd) properly to usually provide for ,in my opinion, longer lasting voicing stability.     From a rebuilders or manufacturers point of view it is to my advantage to use a hammer that provides for voicing stability and tonal dynamics that shows off the piano (our work) for as long a period as possible without the difficulty of excesive voicing either initially or in the clients home.   Does this make sense?? .... Dale Erwin     <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px"> It seems that I read sometimes this hammer is too hard, that hammer is too soft, etc. Is it not the case that some hammers will work with some piano types, and other hammers with other pianos? Such as, softer hammers might work well on pianos with efficient soundboards, a firmer hammer, such as an Abel, might work good on an older piano whose soundboard has lost some of its efficiency, and maybe and rock hard hammer (asian) will work well with an asian piano that maybe has a relatively inefficient soundboard design? Isn't that a better way to look at the hammer question? I can't believe an Abel is no good for any piano, and I can't imagine that an Isaac or a Steinway hammer will work well on all pianos. Or am I just all wet? Terry Farrell   </BLOCKQUOTE> </BLOCKQUOTE> </HTML>