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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hello Andre</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'm lurking silently here in the =
UK</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Michael G.(UK)</FONT></DIV>
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style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=antares@euronet.nl =
href="mailto:antares@euronet.nl">antares</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, June 03, 2005 =
8:27 PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> reflections on a =
hammer</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><BR>On 3-jun-05, at 17:02, Joe Garrett wrote:<BR><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?smaller>Renner or Abel? =
Neither
one!!! What you need/want are essentially Cold Pressed Hammers. I =
would
suggest Ronsen. Ray does a very nice job of reproducing "ancient" =
style
hammers.<?/smaller><?/fontfamily><BR><?fontfamily><?param =
Arial><?smaller>Regards,<?/smaller><?/fontfamily><BR><?fontfamily><?param=
Arial><?smaller>Joe
Garrett, R.P.T.<?/smaller><?/fontfamily><BR><?fontfamily><?param =
Arial><?smaller>Captain,
Tool Police<?/smaller><?/fontfamily><BR><?fontfamily><?param =
Arial><?smaller>Squares
R I<BR><?/smaller><?/fontfamily></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR><BR>Joe, you =
live in the
USA, far away from Europe. For Americans it is natural to buy their =
hammers in
the USA, just as it is common sense for Europeans to buy their hammers =
in
Europe.<BR>To get hammers to Europe from the USA is of course more =
expensive
because of the shipping, but at the same time it is not really =
necessary
because we have in Germany two major hammer makers, who also have =
their agents
in the USA, whereas Ray Negron does not really export his hammers to =
Europe,
as far as I know (is that correct Ray?).<BR>I write this actually in =
answer to
Calin who lives in Rumania.<BR><BR>Calin, I think there is a =
difference
between Abel and Renner, but I do not really know the difference =
between them
in how they make their hammers. <BR>Up till recently, Abel mainly used =
VFG
felt, while Renner mainly used Wurzen felt. <BR>That has changed now. =
<BR>I
have visited both hammer makers and both make excellent =
hammers.<BR><BR>Renner
I have visited a number of times and to Abel I went just one =
time.<BR>Both
make many many hammers for all of the world, but about Renner I know =
that they
have a fully automated hammer press which I think is better for making =
balanced hammers, because one can control the process of making =
hammers in a
more efficient way.<BR>Furthermore, we buy our hammers straight from =
Renner
because there is no restriction there, whereas Abel works only through =
an
agent in Holland and that is the only place to get Abel hammers for =
Dutch
technicians.<BR>A direct contact with the factory means also a more =
efficient
way to exchange ideas about making special hammers. I know that both =
factories
make excellent copies of any hammer, but the interference of an agent =
limits
us in that very same process and we therefor buy our hammers from =
Renner
only.<BR>The result is a magnificent range of hammers we love to work =
with
every day.<BR>This also clearly shows that protectionism works against =
individual development.<BR><BR>This is not really an account of my =
personal
choice, because I already said that both companies make very good =
hammers,
(proivided the felt is Wurzen felt ! ). The best thing to do would be =
to try
out both factories and see which hammer set pleases you the =
most.<BR>Of course
it would be very interesting to try Ronsen's hammers as well, maybe =
the cost
of shipping is not that bad after all.<BR><BR>It is not easy for =
Europeans to
judge publicly between two excellent European hammer =
factories.<BR>Maybe
that's the reason why only American technicians have reacted so far, =
and most
Euroepean listers remain silent in their usual silent =
<B><I>lurking</I></B>
mode?<BR><BR><BR>friendly greetings<BR>from<BR>André
Oorebeek<BR><BR>www.concertpianoservice.nl<BR><BR>"Where music is no =
harm can
be"<BR><BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>