<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:ns1="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)"> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PostalCode"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName"/>  <style>  </style>  </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> Bill Spurlock in one of his technical pamphlets recommends reducing weight to remove the woody sound in the extreme treble. He even advocates shaving the sides of the hammer shanks to reduce weight. Check out <a href="http://www.spurlocktools.com/id36.htm">http://www.spurlocktools.com/id36.htm</a><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> Dean<o:p></o:p> <u1:PERSONNAME u2:st="on">Dean May</u1:PERSONNAME>             cell 812.239.3359 <o:p></o:p> PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 <o:p></o:p> <u1:PLACE u2:st="on"><u1:CITY u2:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><u3:place u4:st="on"><u3:City u4:st="on">Terre Haute</st1:City></u3:place></u1:CITY></u3:City> <u1:STATE u2:st="on"><st1:State u5:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">IN</st1:State></u1:STATE></st1:State>  <u1:POSTALCODE u2:st="on"><st1:PostalCode u6:st="on"><st1:PostalCode w:st="on">47802</st1:PostalCode></u1:POSTALCODE></st1:PostalCode></st1:place></u1:PLACE><o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </div> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Stéphane Collin Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 2:58 PM To: '<st1:PersonName w:st="on">Pianotech List</st1:PersonName>' Subject: Getting the high trebble right<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> Hi list.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I have just done a hammer change on this Knabe grand, and everything went very well, but the high treble who are now much less loud and interesting than they were with the old hammers.<o:p></o:p> Old hammers were lighter than the new ones, but new ones (Renner Wurzen AA) are in the middle of the Stanwood strike weight standard.  I have rebalanced the keys and the front weight is just under the maximum advised, so I didn’t modify the geometry.  Bass improved much, probably thanks to the extra weight of the hammers.  The treble, though, sound dead with a knock on wood noise far from musical.<o:p></o:p> So I wanted to see if my bag of tricks for getting the treble hammers right is up to date.  One must know that I exclude the acoustic body as culprit, because, as I said, the old treble hammers did sound very well.<o:p></o:p> <![if !supportLists]>-          <![endif]>Get the crown shape more focused.<o:p></o:p> <![if !supportLists]>-          <![endif]>Ascertain that the best strike point was reached when hanging the hammers.<o:p></o:p> <![if !supportLists]>-          <![endif]>Check that the hammers strike the strings at right angle.<o:p></o:p> <![if !supportLists]>-          <![endif]>Check the regulation.<o:p></o:p> <![if !supportLists]>-          <![endif]>Do some voicing.<o:p></o:p> <![if !supportLists]>-          <![endif]>Put some acetone-key tops marmalade on the crowns.<o:p></o:p> <![if !supportLists]>-          <![endif]>Some more voicing.<o:p></o:p> All of which didn’t work, except that the acetone-key tops mixture did bring a bit of the note back into the wood knock, but still...  So I was prepared to put the treble hammers on diet, having them loose kind of one gram, but as this would oblige me to re balance the keys, I wanted to check with list wisdom if there was something more to try before that.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Best regards to all.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Stéphane Collin.<o:p></o:p> </div> </body> </html>