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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I don’t agree with that at all. While many hammers over do the pressing (or really the heat application) either in the pre pressing stage or in the final pressing stage, a higher density hammer is often called for and some work will inevitably be involved to achieve the correct consistency for the particular application. You could as easily say that any hammer that you have to add liquid plastic to is crap. That would often be the case with Ronsen hammers whether it is the entire set or a section of the set. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>These kinds of blanket statements are meaningless, biased and just misinformed. Hammer makers target various densities and consistencies based on their own style and/or the requests of their users. While there is much that a hammer maker can do to ruin a piece of felt by the over application of heat creating high density felt that lacks both tension and resilience, pressing it to the point where some needle work is required doesn’t necessarily rise to that level. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>While I use Ronsen hammers frequently they are not right for every application, and that’s more than just Yamaha. BTW, Yamaha is purchasing a great deal of Weikert felt currently and is working very hard to achieve a pressing that they feel is right for their pianos. This hammer, which you see certainly on the higher end models, is a very responsive hammer to needles yet stable once you arrive. Responsiveness to voicing combined with stability is one sign of a well made hammer whether needle work is required or not. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I’m only discussing the hammer making stage here, btw, the felt making process is where it all begins. A great sheet of felt can be ruined by a poor hammer maker and a not so decent sheet of felt can be made into a decent set of hammers by a skilled hammer maker. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Large and complicated topic but I think your comment is simply incorrect. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>David Love<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>www.davidlovepianos.com<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"MS Sans Serif","serif"'> If you have to "pre-voice" a set of hammers, then, in my book, they're crap! Simple as that. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"MS Sans Serif","serif"'>Best,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"MS Sans Serif","serif"'>Joe</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></body></html>