[CAUT] Water/Alcohol on Yamaha Hammers

[central]

Jeff,
    It might be of interest to you that we have a four-year old CF111S which
the Yamaha team works on yearly under a five-year service agreement.  At
this point in time, Tom Kaplan, one of their regional techs, would like to
install new hammers/shanks and I believe also key bushings.  For concert
venues, many techs agree that three to five years is reasonable life
expectancy for hammers.  Not that these hammers are worn out, just no longer
optimum.  Certainly, without doubt in your case, hammers were needed anyway.
   "Bad needling"?? I seriously doubt it!!! The Yamaha team BEATS hammers
hard like their killing a devil when they needle them!!   (Deep needling
with four needles hard and repeatedly down the sides, literally dozens and
dozens of deep violently fast but precise stabs).  I suppose to go right
into the strike point that way would be "bad needling" but that wouldn't
yield the tonal description your piano had,  --raspy and bright.  (It would
be dull with no brightness and no dynamic range if you did that.)  You've
got to needle a lot into the sides to kill hammers.
   We have around 90 Yamahas here at CMU and I've been over twenty years
here.  I have never had to use chemicals on their hammers to achieve good
results.
-Mike Jorgensen 




On 1/10/06 11:04 AM, "Jeff Stickney" <jpstickney@montanadsl.net> wrote:

> Mike,
> 
> Your comments describe exactly where I'm at right now.  Everyone is in
> damage control mode which, to me, is very frustrating.  I'm trying to
> keep my cool and not let things get out of control.  Better
> communication and clarification of my relationship to the Music
> Department may be positive results of this situation.  However, the
> alcohol/water solution was applied and the hammers literally exploded.
> Where I had deep needled on the shoulders, the hammers literally split
> open and are obviously ruined.  The other tech's initial reaction was to
> blame the needling - his application merely relaxed the felt and exposed
> the already ruined hammers.  I have confidence that most of the players
> understand that that is not true.  Had the solution not been applied,
> the hammers could have lived a long and happy life (or at least longer
> than this disaster).
> 
> There is already talk of not wanting to use the Yamaha parts - they only
> come pre-hung and cost somewhere around $1,500.00.  Also, this is a
> disklavier, and it's not clear if they have shanks for the disklavier
> (with the tab/flag thingy - nice technical term, no?), or if the
> tabs/flags would have to be installed.  Is it reasonable to consider
> putting another type hammer on the old shanks/flanges (the piano is from
> 1994, but as I said has not gotten heavy use), or should I be insisting
> on the Yamaha parts?  It would certainly be nice to put on all new parts
> (pre-hung no less).  If an alternative is considered, what would you-all
> recommend?  Ronsen, Renner?  The saga continues.  Sorry if the list is
> tiring of this.
> 
> Thanks,
> Jeff Stickney
> 
> central wrote:
>> Jeff,
>>      Laying low with truthful communication sounds like a good plan.
>> Whatever you do, don't quit in fear or anger.  The truth always wins if you
>> don't run away.  Also be careful after your victory comes to avoid any
>> temptation to retaliate.
>>     The real battle is a spiritual one.
>> -Mike Jorgensen
>> 
>> 
>> On 1/7/06 12:27 PM, "Jeff Stickney" <jpstickney@montanadsl.net> wrote:
>> 
>>   
>>>   I have come to the conclusion that it
>>> is best to lay as low as possible, but still communicate my reservations
>>> or at least caveats (a la Susan Kline - thanks, Susan) regarding using
>>> alcohol and water.
>>>     
>> 
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>>   
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