Avery, Someone has overhardened that hammer. Normally, the F, F# and G are noticably more prominent. Since you do not mention it, through what portion of the dynamic range does this occur? That should be a clue as to where to work on the hammer. If, F - FF, then lower/deeper on the shoulders. If mf - F, then a little higher and more shallow. Etc. Also, it is not uncommon for the strings on that E to be bad from the start. Are they twisted? Too far? Enough? How does the E compare with the D#? Through what dynamic range? In general, where does the balance of power in the tone shift from lower to upper partials? If you are only into (roughly) F or so, and the balance has already started to shift into the 7th and/or higher partials, start looking for the thinnest, splattiest sound on the instrument - make it sound good, then bring everything else into line with it. I am fighting a miserable cold, and feel like the bottom layer of paper in a well-used cat box, so my normally sunny disposition is a little thin just now. >From that marginally-socially-acceptable veiwpoint, I wish folks would take their heads out of their stereo speakers and listen to real, live pianos, and a lot of 'em. The sizzle that everyone nowdays seems to find so unacceptable has been a part of live concert work longer than any of us have been alive. It goes to projection, tuning and voicing, as they are integral parts of a given musical performance. Of course, there can be too much. It's also part of the sound of real pianos. There are simply oceans of re-released older performances which make these points quite eloquently. Learn to use it to your advantage. End of rant. Going home to put my head under a pillow. Hope everyone has a great weekend. Best of luck, Avery! (AccchhhhhhooooooooOOOO!!!) Horace At 03:32 PM 2/19/1999 -0600, you wrote: >Hi Roger & List, > > Since you chimed in on this, let me ask a question. This isn't the same >thing exactly, as Chris has, but I also have a new 'D' where E-2 (1st bass >string below the break) is giving me fits trying to get the tone in line >with the other notes around it. I've been using steaming and needles and >have improved it quite a bit, but it still sticks out some. All the other >notes have responded nicely to steaming. I'm almost to the point of >slightly hardning the hammers right above the tenor break to even it out >some, although I don't really want to. > The hammer doesn't seem to be over-doped. The needles go in easily. >However,the sides of the hammer do seem to have a crusty, hard feel. The >dedication concert for this piano is tomorrow night and I'm trying to >finish up on it today. Any "miracle" ideas? Thanks. > >Avery > >>Hi Chris, >> Has the treble hammers been over doped? Also how old is the >>piano? Finally has there been a noticeable difference in V bar noise since >>the fall? The voicing in this section is always critical. >> >> The hardener that I have been encountering seems to take months to reach a >>stable state. A new Baldwin L that I received in late October was over >>doped and gave the same symptoms. as time elapsed and the humidity dropped, >>the problem got worse. I have over the coarse of the winter drenched the >>hammers in acetone on three separate occasions. It has washed the hardener >>deep into the hammer, to the point that the bottom of the molding has a >>slight white stain from the material running out. The tone is now wide and >>singing with out the obnoxious percussion effect. >> >>I apply the acetone with an eye dropper untill the hammer felt is >>completely soaked. wait 5 to 10 min to allow the hardener to become >>plastic, then resoak to move the hardener. It is almost like a flushing >>effect. In exteme cases I have used as much as a quarter of a pint of >>acetone. The first time I tried this it was scary, but I felt I had nothing >>to lose as the hammers were useless the way they were sounding. >> >>Lightly needle directly at the strike point can also help. Prop the hammers >>up on a voicing block, use 3 needles and just gently push untill you feel >>the needles just break the hardness. One insertion only and listen for >>change. >>It will probably take several attempts to buid the tone in this register, >>one small step at a time. >> >>Regards Roger >> >> >>At 01:43 PM 19/02/99 -0500, you wrote: >>>dear list, >>> >>>we have a nice new S&S D here at the university that has a small problem >>>that i am not sure how to address. at the point in the treble where the >>>capo begins i am getting a lot of noise from the non-speking length between >>>the capo and the v-bar. it's not "a lot" of noise but more than i like. i >>>have checked all the usual suspects; string level, hammer fit, bridge pins, >>>strings seated, etc. what i notice is that there is a ton of energy >>>comming over the capo and into this length. if i put my finger on that >>>non-speaking length and play the note, the tone is dead. i tried this on >>>other pianos and i don't notice the same effect. on a hard blow i am >>>getting a sizzle from this section as if the string level was bad. what's >>>the deal? should the non-speaking length be getting this much vibration >>>through the capo? why does muting that length deaden the tone so much more >>>than other, similar pianos? am i missing the obvious? >>> >>>thanks for your help, >>>chris >>> >>>-Christopher D. Purdy R.P.T. School of Music Ohio University Athens OH >>> >>>-purdy@oak.cats.ohiou.edu (614) 593-1656 fax# (614) 593-1429 >>> >>Roger Jolly >>Baldwin Yamaha Piano Centre >>Saskatoon and Regina >>Saskatchewan, Canada. >>306-665-0213 >>Fax 652-0505 > > >___________________________ >Avery Todd, RPT >Moores School of Music >University of Houston >Houston, TX 77204-4893 >713-743-3226 >http://www.music.uh.edu/ > > >
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