Steinway hammers/time

[Richard Brekne]

Allen Wright wrote:

> Ric,
>
> Mostly what I'm curious about is why all of a sudden I can't get a needle
> in, three years on - and actually, it didn't happen until the humidity
> recently dropped 20% or so (maybe more) in the hall, with a spell of drier
> fall weather here, and a little bit of heat on. I didn't have any trouble
> getting the needle in during the high humidity this summer.
>

Hmmm... this is the opposite of what I generally experience... perhaps it might be a
combination of factors. I rarely run into lacquered hammers on new pianos for one
thing.  Maybe something about felt and some amount of soaking in laquer causes your
problem when it gets dry. I cant say I've experienced such an quick "overnite"
reaction in anycase. Interesting :)


> I'm mainly interested to hear if others have experienced such a sudden
> change in the pentrateability (?!) of the hammers. Overnight, as it
> were...as if some critical mass was reached. I've worked on lots and lots of
> Steinway grands before, and never experienced anything quite like it. I
> don't think it's because the hammers have gotten that compacted; as I say,
> it's not played all that much. Which leads me to wonder if it's not a
> function either of the humidity swings or the factory lacquer job somehow
> seasoning and changing character (or both).
>
> Allen Wright
>
> ----------

--
Richard Brekne
RPT, N.P.T.F.
UiB, Bergen, Norway
mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html
http://www.hf.uib.no/grieg/personer/cv_RB.html