filing the Steinway hammers (was Kissin)

[Horace Greeley]

Hi,

The factory approach to hammer shaping and voicing has varied wildly over 
the years.  One person taught one way, another taught another way, the C&A 
department has used several different methods - all of these work.

While what Ed suggests will definitely work, my usual preference is to 
shape first and then lacquer.  There are both physical and philosophical 
reasons for this.  On the physical side, the hammer is (with reasonable 
practice) easier to shape when "raw" (or nearly so).  Philosophically, one 
can work at the piano, and get a sense of what the eventual sound will be 
before lacquering.

There is no question but what adding the lacquer first can make certain 
aspects of the shaping process easier as it makes the hammers more like a 
hard-press hammer (as to shaping issues).  At the same time, I do think 
that one (potentially) loses some control over the final product.

One really crucial part of any voicing process is that one cannot get out 
what is not built in.  One can make it louder or softer, and, within 
limits, affect timbre - but basically, it is a question of finding the 
limits of what is there to begin with and learning how to work with them.

More later.

Best.

Horace



At 09:43 PM 1/9/2001 -0500, you wrote:
><< Old Steinway hammers are a dream to
>
>file as the layers were thin and came off as expected.  These layers seem to
>
>want to come off in thick layers...weird!  Got any ideas?>>
>
>Greetings,
>     The factory approach helps.  This means juicing the hell out of the
>shoulders first.  I have been up there and seen the lacquer running down and
>off the tails!
>      4 to1 lacquer and thinner, about two eye-dropper fulls on each shoulder
>at the 9:30 and 2:30 areas.  You may need more lacquer later, but this
>beginning seems to solidify the felt enough to grind the hammers into shape.
>   Otherwise,  file from the strikepoint down, THEN juice the hell out of
>them.
>Regards,
>Ed Foote RPT