Like Eric, I used to hammer punchings (especially BR) to pre-compress
them. Stopped a few years back in favor of ironing instead - lay a set down
on a smooth surface, use a clothes iron, turn over and do the other side.
This takes care of the surface fuzz and makes for a much crisper feel.
Reduces the "squeeze factor" by maybe .010, but retains the cushion factor.
And seems very nice to my way of thinking (my way of feeling the keystroke).
I've always felt that older felts which had been compacted for a few years
felt "harsh" and that there was too much wood in the tone of the piano.
I'm having a hard time imagining how a firmer, non-woven felt would be
different from a more compacted woven felt. I do have a lot of respect for
Andre, and for those of you who have tried these fr punchings, but I'm
experiencing "cognitive dissonance" here. Maybe there's an additional
"springiness" that takes up noise and force through the finger without as
much compression. Seems like magic, not physics, though.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
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