<html> Hi David,  Another of my off the wall techniques, ( like controlled steaming ) Well 10years ago I was a crazy radical. I call it wet needling.   Drench the hammers in acetone and deep needle while still damp, no problem getting the needles right into the shoulders and on target.  The felt will release quite a bit of tension.   I have been doing this for a number of years on the swinging brick like hammers with good and lasting results. Ideally hammers that hard should be replaced with a quality hammer. Regards Roger At 12:03 AM 8/24/02 -0700, you wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>>C2 not a G2...sorry.  Actually, no flattening to speak of...some grooving >but I thought the steaming might be worth a try.  I have been doing some >deep needling on the shoulders and get immediate relief but it doesn't >last... What sort of deep needling?  If the hammers are rock hard, try steam and then needling.  If you like I'll give you a sure-fire deep-needling technique for right up on the crown.....harrowing at first, but safe, very effective, pretty permanent. Best, David A > >David I > >David, if you are really working on a G2, it's a lot more than two years >old. Did you mean a C2? > >    If the piano has really been getting that kind of use, are the hammers >starting to get a little flat up near the capo bar?  Steaming is fine, but >if the hammers are through and through hard, you'll get better results >from and little deep needling down on the shoulders and sides of the >hammer. Don't mean to butt in here, though.</blockquote> </html>