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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Horace,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Great advice as usual. The piano =
was made in
1975. Those backcheck wires certainly have had a going =
over!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>As always, thank you.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Barbara</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR><B><?color><?param =
0000,0000,0000>From: <?/color></B>Horace Greeley <<A
href="mailto:hgreeley@stanford.edu">hgreeley@stanford.edu</A>><BR><B=
><?color><?param 0000,0000,0000>Date:
<?/color></B>August 31, 2004 10:20:40 PM CDT<BR><B><?color><?param =
0000,0000,0000>To: <?/color></B>Pianotech <<A
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>><BR><B><?color=
><?param 0000,0000,0000>Subject:
<?/color>Re: Big hammers<BR></B><BR><BR><BR>Hi, <BR><BR>At 07:10 PM =
8/31/2004,
you wrote:<BR><BR>I guess I'm showing my ignorance but what are you =
talking
about?<BR><BR>I'm not sure, Avery. From the few that we can see, =
these
actually look like pretty workable hammers, to me....I've certainly seen =
much,
much worse in day-to-day use on concert instruments in "name"
venues.<BR><BR>Barb - I would be more concerned about overall action =
geometry
that the size of the hammers at this point. Those knuckles look a =
bit
close to the flange pin. Also, looking at the backchecks, this is =
a
pre-'87 instrument (for _me_, this is a GOOD THING!...largely because of =
the
significantly larger range of regulation possible...long subject and I =
am not
looking to start a discussion)...being of that vintage, you are also =
going to
want to check not only action spread, but also deck height from the =
keybed to
the CP of each of the whippen and hammer flanges. Try to carefully =
assess
what was actually done at the factory, and what has been done since
then...looking especially to see if there has been a change in the =
material
under the back rail cloth. Usually, this would have had a layer of =
red key
felt, often on top of one or (sometimes, but not often) two layers of =
what
amounts to manila card stock (this latter usually dark brown in =
color).
Also, check to see when/if anyone has replaced the balance rail pivots; =
and/or
the front rail (felt) punchings. etc.<BR><BR>In other words, =
before doing
_anything_ try to get a very solid idea of what it is you are looking =
at.
Then, work backwards. As someone (Andre? Isaac? sorry) =
noted,
sometimes (even often) "just" a good, solid regulation will do more for =
tone and
projection than even many technicians will believe.<BR><BR>So, after all =
that,
those look like S&S hammers; and, from what little can be seen of =
them, they
look as if they are fairly well molded and shaped...so, look elsewhere =
before
simply throwing them out and starting
elsewhere.<BR><BR>Best.<BR><BR>Horace<BR><BR><BR><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>=