<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10 (filtered)"> <style>  </style> </head> <body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> I assume you mean the “top” of the hammer, not the “front”.  Needling the top is common practice.  How and if you should needle the top will depend on the type of hammer.  Deep needling straight down through the crown isn’t a good idea on most types of hammers, but on a lacquered NY Steinway hammer it may be necessary.   Some hammers are just so damn hard that there is no choice but to needle the crown or under the crown.  Shallow needling on the crown is common and acceptable under all conditions to temper the attack.        <div> David Love davidlovepianos@comcast.net www.davidlovepianos.com </div> -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of David Lawson Sent: Friday, July 14, 2006 4:25 PM To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: Voicing   <div> G'day Friends. </div> <div> Whilst voicing a new Kawai K-3 model the other day I got thinking about this age old question of needling the front of the hammer. We were always taught that it was a no no, right? </div> <div> Well there are times when you just have to, and this job I was doing required it. By going by the book, I would have achieved nothing, where as, a very tiny touch to the string indentation did the job I required, after I had carried out the 'correct' procedure, that is. </div> <div> Am I getting frowns from all and sundry about this, or is it acceptable by some of you to go out of the square? My belief is that as long as you don't go crazy and damage the fibres of the hammer, you are doing no harm, just improving the tone. </div> <div> Over to you. </div> <div> David Lawson.  Wangaratta.  Australia. </div> <div>    </div> <div>   </div> </div> </body> </html>