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<DIV>Dale,</DIV>
<DIV>You aren't alone. I find lightly lacquered hammers to have a
clarity and quality of tone that I find very attractive. Wurzen hammers
especially respond very well to a 10:1 solution. A 10:1 solution is what
hair spray is to hair...a slight stiffening agent.</DIV>
<DIV>Tom Servinsky</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=Erwinspiano@aol.com
href="mailto:Erwinspiano@aol.com">Erwinspiano@aol.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, October 14, 2007 7:48
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Felt quality</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>
<DIV>
<DIV> JD</DIV>
<DIV> Don't shoot me yet or flambeau me. I may be the only
lacquer maverick in the herd, but all the friendly & accurately
assessed cynicism aside, I find a <STRONG>properly</STRONG> made Softer hammer
with quality felt will illicit a tone character I find very attractive
when treated lightly with a low dosage of lacquer. To my ear, this sound
is difficult to replicate with hammers without it.The lacquer in this specific
case doesn't render it un-needle-eable un- less over done.</DIV>
<DIV> I admit lacquer- ing hammers is the most abused voicing
technique.(Well maybe not) but it really may not have to do with a
hammer that's <STRONG>properly</STRONG> made. The hammers themselves are
made to be lacquered such as Steinway hammers <STRONG>used to
be</STRONG>. No there pre-lacquered before shipping & I can't use
these any more.</DIV>
<DIV> A Softer hammer will illicit a very strong & gloriouos
fundamental from the git go,which is the very thing harder hammers fail
miserable to produce & often,even after considerable needling.
And since sustain is so vital to the musical experience, not noise as Ron
points out, its a curious as to how we've been brainwashed to think
hammers made like concrete that need hours & hours of
needling are the answer either. If a hammer needs to be lacquered beyond
the point where needles are effective then it may be improperly made or simply
the wrong hammer choice for that particular sound board system. The list is
replete with this insightful discussion just this year</DIV>
<DIV> I think you guys that can custom order from Renner in Europe can
mostly avoid this as Andre & Ric have & here we have the beautiful
variations of the Ronsen Product utilizing three or four different
felts.</DIV>
<DIV> Just my perspective</DIV>
<DIV> Dale</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>> I
read a lot on this list about doping hammers. Why should it be
<BR>> necessary to dope any hammer that is properly made from the proper
felt <BR>> in the first place?<BR>> <BR>> JD<BR><BR>Lots of
reasons, mostly having to do with soundboard <BR>efficiency or lack thereof,
followed by hammer quality, and <BR>generations of consumer training to the
effect that any piano <BR>not producing noise well beyond the ever rising
pain threshold <BR>needs harder hammers.<BR>Ron N</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR>
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