<!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 content="MSHTML 5.00.2919.6307" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>   Hi David     &nb= sp;           &nbs= p;           &nbsp= ;                   </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Just thought I would respond to your = post on voicing yamaha hamrs. Having voiced my share at my Dads dealership  = I can tell you honestly that I veiw the outcome of most efforts as not = altogether inspiring .To put another way,in our shop we never use yam. hmrs when = replacing. Now obviously ever body has there subjective bias etc. when talking = hammers but Ican not get the sound of my dreams with fact. hmrs.However as you well  know we work with what we got Right! Because of = the way yam. hmrs. are made i.e. dense felt steamed to perfection they like many = wil yield harder and yet harder felt as they  are worn and filed .The = densest portion being over the tip of the moulding .As with all makes of shrink = wrapped hmrs.  consistincy varys.That being said at least in the past the = pianos came in with hmr. shoulders already to weak from over needling and theso = called sacred zone untouched i.e. from striking pt.  down to molding. But = because of density factors inherent in there design that little sacred zone can = be the problem  and without some judicous needling in that area and = possible reenforcing of  the shoulders with hrdnrs. you probably will not be = completely satisfied. Are we ever?To emphasize my point if you = obliterated all but  the sacred zone with needles the piano would probably still = sound to bright Ask me how I know.  aftr filing leveling strgs ,hmrs and = tuning use one needle in that zone to locate the hard spots. Go slowly a couple = strokes at a time and listen. the brooks four corner technique is very useful as = can be couple fairly deep strokes straight down the middle . If the hmrs are at = all reasonable these few measures  should help significantly.perhaps a = few more at the ends of the string marks.I find asingle needle an enormously = useful tool.Bottom line the sacred zone must be a connective and homogeneous = piece of the vocing puzzle not just a stand alone string thumper . Hope this = might be food for thought.  sincerely  Dale Erwin    </FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>