<HTML style="FONT-SIZE: x-small; FONT-FAMILY: MS Sans Serif"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1400" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV>I vote for putting on the hammers that produce the best overall sound for the piano and mic the piano if it's too soft for the hall.  Check out the Abel Select hammers (from Pianotek).  My recent hammer exploration and trials with a Steinway D led me to that hammer by a nose, or an ear!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV>David Love</DIV> <DIV><A href="mailto:davidlovepianos@earthlink.net">davidlovepianos@earthlink.net</A></DIV> <DIV> </DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=piano57@flash.net href="mailto:piano57@flash.net">Barbara Richmond</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> 8/30/2004 10:00:34 AM </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Big Hammers</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT size=2> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hey all,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Some of you may remember the thread last spring, voicing for a big, dead, hall.  Still waiting for the bureaucracy to make up their minds, but in the mean time I've been thinking a lot about the project and I'd like to have a chat about hammer size.  The hall is huge (3500 seats or so), has lots of carpet and poses a challenge for the piano's projection.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I won't go into all the piano's issues (of which it has quite a few and I can deal with them), but there is one area I'd like to hear your opinions.  Right now, the piano (Steinway D) has the biggest hammers on it that I've ever seen.  Is it a fact that BIG hammers will help power and projection, especially in a problem setting like this?   A friend has recommended that I "leave them big."  Some days I agree with him and on others, I don't.  Of course, I won't really know what's going to work until I dig in, but I'd just like to hear what your experience has been.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Barbara Richmond, RPT</FONT></DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>