[CAUT] Steinway hammers with pre-voicing solution

Tim Geinert, R.P.T. geinert@drtel.net
Thu, 12 May 2005 21:31:04 -0500


At the factory, they have a template for each model's set of hammers, and 
after the set is cut and preshaped, they are then lined up, and lacquered as 
per the guide on the template.  As I recall, the entire set does not 
necessarily get juiced, and each section that does get juiced is not 
necessarily soaked, only as the template dictates, and its different for 
each model.  All the hammers go through this step, the same as any step in 
the process.  Their goal, as I understand it, is just to get the hammers 
headed in the right direction, not make them hard.  I would expect them to 
sound mellow, and they are, even with all of them receiving this pre-voicing 
juicing.
Tim G.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Fred Sturm" <fssturm@unm.edu>
To: "caut" <caut@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2005 6:24 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Steinway hammers with pre-voicing solution


> On 5/12/05 3:34 PM, "A440A@aol.com" <A440A@aol.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> << Anyway, I did not pursue the matter with Steinway. Has anyone here
>> done so? The "pre-voicing" seems to me to be a fairly heavy
>> lacquering. Can lacquer-free hammers be had at all from Steinway? >>
>>
>> The last two sets of their hammers were soft, soft, soft.  I don't think 
>> they
>> had any hardner in them.  I had to juice them heavily to make the piano
>> speak.
>>     I differ with the current Steinway method,.  I squirt it on from the
>> low shoulder and let it wick upwards, rather than soaking them from the
>> contact
>> point downward.
>>
>>
>>
>> Ed Foote RPT
>> http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
>> www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>>
> Ditto. The last three sets I got did not appear to have been lacquered. I
> sure think I can tell <g>. Note that all hammers have a bit of lacquer
> applied to the felt tips (below the staple) prior to pressing, mostly as a
> kind of glue size I think. Maybe that's what they are saying. Who did you
> ask, Sharon Rebele? Kent Webb? I think it's definitely worth pursuing. We
> can all gang up on them in KC and back them into a corner <g>.
> Regards,
> Fred Sturm
> University of New Mexico
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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