<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2668" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=rol= e_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  Horace </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>   right on advice. I'm at the phase of my lif= e where this kind of call would a have been a simple open invitation to d= o a hammer transplant instead of all the diddling around we try to do only to fi= nd the results largely unsuccessful. NO offense Barabara , I know you /we aim t= o please.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  Unsuccessful Primarily because of the petrified f= elt hammers to begin with. In my practice I start over with the Ronsen tone producing hammers(Wurzen) with the same caveat that Horace mentioned as to s= ome soundboard systems needing a bit firmer /stiffer hammer to get the tone= going. Stiff hammer equals stiff soundboard system. However I've yet to= use a set of the Wurzen that didn't' get what I wanted with proper filing , stri= ng to hammer mating & in some cases dilute amounts of lacquer/whatever</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>   Barbara In these cases l do a thoro explana= tion of how & why certain hammers have the charachteristics they do. This is usually  a simple excersise in basic & compassionate salesman ship & it gives the client what they really need / want without all the  chemical & needling gymnastics which more often than not ends = in failure. Yes & who pays for the non effective results? Hmm . YOu? Me? Ye= s in our gracious & unbusiness like way we often volunteer to eat the intial = cost of the failed efforts.   </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>   I don't know but you 'all but of donated pl= enty & could frankly use more of MY  time to wander thru the forrest....= .. which I did last week !!!    !<IMG src="http://cdn-cf.aol.com/se/smi/0201d201a5/16"></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>   Regards</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>   Dale Erwin</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><= FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size= =2>Does it work...well...yes...most times there will be a noticeable improvement...sometimes, depending on how badly damaged the hammers were t= o start with, you can save the cost of a new set of hammers.  The whole= operation does not take significant amounts of time in one sitting.  Rather several hours spaced out over a day or so, and can thus be fit in w= ith other work.<BR><BR><STRONG>FWIW, most Seilers come with hammers that are n= ot only too hard to begin with.  They also seem to be hardened at the factory (with what seems like lacquer) to a</STRONG> point that is indefensible.  So, you are dealing not only with whatever the other technician applied; but also whatever was done at the factory/dealer to be= gin with.  I would like to recommend the Wurzen hammers to start with; an= d do so with the caveat that there are some instruments/makers/models which see= m to require a harder hammer to get much going in the way of sound.  YMMV.<BR><BR>Good luck.<BR><BR>Best.<BR><BR>Horace<BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE>= </DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>