Yamaha C3 voicing

[David Ilvedson]

Newton,

Was this by any chance the reason your no longer at Rutgers?...;-]

David I.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-caut@ptg.org [mailto:owner-caut@ptg.org]On Behalf Of Newton
> Hunt
> Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2000 6:31 AM
> To: caut@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: Yamaha C3 voicing
> 
> 
> The wonderful thing about working in a university situation
> is that you can experiment and learn.
> 
> I have used pliers and have not been happy with the
> results.  Not enough for too much work and blisters.
> 
> I have dipped hammers in a solution of near boiling water
> and Woolite for good results but the strike point becomes
> quite narrow requiring extra spacing time.  No real problem
> and they did come down mostly.  A little needling finished
> the job after a _lot_ of filing.
> 
> I have tried needles.  After three days I said enough
> already.  I did not get the sound I wanted but it was not as
> bright.
> 
> I used steam on a Kawai and the results were rather nice
> with next to no effort.  I used a portable clothes steamer
> about the size of a pint bottle of Scotch.  Steamer lower
> over hammers standing up so it took maybe ten seconds to
> cover the whole line left to right.  Go a little slower in
> the bass and maybe go over them a little, very little, on
> the shoulders.
> 
> I have not used the wet cloth method but I do like it. 
> Control don't you know.
> 
> Some technicians have said that steaming will ruin a set of
> Yamaha hammers.  Ruin is a relative term but based upon
> whose standards?  I am sure Yamaha feels it ruins their
> hammers but if it does what you want to get then you are
> meeting your objectives.  We Americans prefer to hear a
> different sound than the Asians do, just my observation.
> 
> Out of pure self defense I was putting Ronson hammers on
> Kawais to help prevent broken treble strings.  I was
> absolutely stunned at how open and round the tone became. 
> BIG bass, nicely balanced middle and not so shrill a treble
> but still a nice round tone.
> 
> So what if you "ruin" a set of hammers.  Change them, I
> would like a set of Abels myself.
> 
> Get radical.
> 
> 		Newton
>