Try Wapinizing it! PW No, David, you're aging fine like a good wine! :>)  (me too) <table width=100%> <tr valign=top> <td width=40%>"David Love" <davidlovepianos@comcast.net> Sent by: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org 10/23/2008 01:52 PM <table border> <tr valign=top> <td bgcolor=white> <div align=center>Please respond to Pianotech List <pianotech@ptg.org></div></table> <td width=59%> <table width=100%> <tr valign=top> <td> <div align=right>To</div> <td>"'Pianotech List'" <pianotech@ptg.org> <tr valign=top> <td> <div align=right>cc</div> <td> <tr valign=top> <td> <div align=right>Subject</div> <td>RE: yamaha rebuild</table> <table> <tr valign=top> <td> <td></table> </table> <tt>I like that "a vintage 1977", makes me feel old :-)   As Ron mentioned, these assessments really need to be made at the piano and in this case with samples and with the customer's own tonal goals and attitudes in mind.  That being said, as soundboards get weaker, they get louder and sustain diminishes (unless they turn to stone and get stiffer and therefore quieter with better sustain--haven't met that one yet though).  So likely the hammer needed won't have to be as hard or heavy (or both) as the original in order to generate the same volume.  Also, louder at attack, in this case, means diminished perception of the length of the sustain phase. I'm not sure that the actual measured sustain will diminish as the rate at which the board dissipates energy is not influenced by the hammer necessarily.  However, one of the essential goals in setting up the "voice" of the piano is to find the best balance between the attack envelope and sustain phase.  On older boards, that usually means reducing the level of the attack, i.e. somewhat softer and/or lighter hammer.   David Love davidlovepianos@comcast.net www.davidlovepianos.com -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Conrad Hoffsommer Sent: Thursday, October 23, 2008 8:15 AM To: Pianotech List Subject: Re: yamaha rebuild On 10/23/08, David Love <davidlovepianos@comcast.net> wrote: > I've found those older blocks don't > hold up that well and since replacing the block isn't that big a deal, I'd > probably do it.  I'd be careful about hammer selection as the board is > likely much weaker than it was at the outset and may not tolerate as hard a > hammer as the original. I'm considering restringing w/pinblock  (actually: pinblock - necessitating restringing) on a 1977 vintage C7. Should I consider "leaner" hammers for it, too?   The thing does _NOT_ lack for volume. -- Conrad Hoffsommer, RPT Luther College Decorah, IA </tt>