<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type> <META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.19088"> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Hi Folks<</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Thought I would update my thoughts on the recent Reno Seminar.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Two things </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Met a tool I got to have ( grand hammer head extractor pliers )</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Feature that sold me on the tool was that the leverage it uses to pop the hammer off the shank is much greater than any of the other tools of similar function. Its compact sturdy construction makes it very easy to remove the hammer with less danger of affecting flange pinning when removing the hammer while parts are still attached to the rail. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Dale's tool is available from Pianoforte.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Secondly,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Have you ever heard a Yamaha Grand not mostly sound like a Jazz only instrument?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Ray Negron & Weickert felt hammers.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Ray took us through the process of how his company (my thoughts) has returned to the old way of making hammers.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Not the new way of Hot pressed hammers, that need the tech with a arm like Godzilla, to </FONT><FONT size=2 face=Arial>needle the hammer into submission,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>to produce a reasonable tone.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Our day was mostly spent the first half with Dale The second half with Ray, with the host's Yamaha grand used as a work bench.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>At 3:55 PM the piano was cleaned off and Wade Muncy, the owner proceeded to play a very romantic jazz tune. Followed by several other tecs who</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>played other styles that made the piano show what it was able to produce and support stylistically.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>No attempts at pre voicing were done, this was a raw hung set of hammers.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I think from the comments made, all were as stunned and pleased as I, at the range of dynamics and styles that were available to the performer</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV>Joe Goss BSMusEd MMusEd RPT<BR><A href="mailto:imatunr@srvinet.com">imatunr@srvinet.com</A><BR><A href="http://www.mothergoosetools.com">www.mothergoosetools.com</A></DIV></BODY></HTML>