<HTML><HEAD> <META charset=US-ASCII http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">Ed Foote says:</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT face=Arial>     A walloping big dose of thinned down lacquer.   Those may be totally <BR>untreated hammers, and may need to be nearly soaked with a 5 or 6:1 ratio of <BR>thinner to lacquer. </FONT></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">Alex,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">Assuming that these are NY and not Hamburg hammers (I would have thought Hamburg in Argentina); and agreeing with the caveat that there's no substitute for experience, as each set of Steinway hammers will be different out of the box; and that proper alignment, leveling, and shaping are prerequisites; and that needling techniques are different for this style of hammer, I'd add a couple of probable typical refinements once you get out the juicing fire hose.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">First, (depending on your lacquer), I'd guess your first application needs to be even stronger in the high treble - at least 4:1 [thinner:lacquer] from G5 to the top, and soak 'em. Get the whole hammer wet, at least in the top section. From F#5 or so down, I like to treat the core of the hammer and the tip separately. use the 5 or 6:1, but put it in from the shoulders and/or sides. What you want is to strengthen the hammer to increase power at high dynamic levels, but avoid the very tippy tip until you see how much attack sound you get. The one disadvantage of lacquer on the strike point is that it can take make the una corda pretty ugly unless you do some sophisticated needling. It can also be less stable than an untreated strike point.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">Second, Steinway used to teach a simple way of thinking about the hardened style of hammers, which is "Use lacquer to increase power, use needles to reduce noise." This is oversimplified, as judicious needling can increase both power and sustain just as in the non-juiced style of hammer, just to a more limited extent. However, it can be a useful guide to the concept.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Third, this doesn't sound like a piano you should be comfortable gaining experience on. Subsequent applications of lacquer don't wick the same way as the first course, so experience is handy when deciding how much to put in. Ideally, you want to put in enough the first time, but only enough. Hire a mentor, if you can, or practice on spares.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">Good luck,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">Bob Davis, RPT</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">Stockton, CA </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>