[CAUT] brightening a Yamaha

[Richard Brekne]

Hi guys..

Several have written that they've never had to brighten up a Yamaha.  
I've had too on a number of occassions. Worst case was a U3 about 6 
years ago... brand new and was delivered straight from the importer at 
the time... Voiced down like hell because they had initially placed it 
at the countries big music college in Oslo to line up against 
<<traditional European>> makes. For some reason they felt this meant 
they needed to round the tone off rather aggressively. 

The purchasers in a place a bit south of our west coast town of Bergen 
bought it as <<new>> at a deal price and were shocked at not having that 
well know bright Yamaha sound.  When I first saw the instrument it was 
shall we say... mush.  I was reminded of my earliest of voicing lessons 
where I was told to first listen for either a <<Quack>> sound... (to 
unvoiced) or a <<Mooo>> sound... (to voiced).  This one was well beyond 
Mooo.  It wasnt even a cow anymore :)

There was no choice in this case... Laquer.  Or new hammers... but on a 
brand new piano... ??  nope.  Laquer.

Since then I find the Yamahas delivered around here very often what I 
would call over voiced.  Typical I suppose if you figure on an 
instrument being delivered to a place where a lot of use is expected and 
you count on it being banged bright again.   Not my choice of voicing 
methods... but I understand the reasoning well enough.  In these cases I 
place the tails up on my voicing block and use the back of my voicing 
tool to bang in some months of use, then file to mate to the (leveled) 
strings, and then if needed touch up with an iron.  Works great lasts a 
long time.

Deep needling techniques to open the hammer... release some of the low 
shoulder power have also been suggested... this is good too, but it 
doesnt necessarilly add brightness as much as it adds body and power. At 
least thats my sensation of that kind of needling.

Cheers
RicB


> Hi Alan,
>
> Could it be that a Wally Brooks tone building session in that area could 
> help.  Is the sustain/decay just as long as the neighbor octaves?  How is 
> the shaping of the hammers?  You might try very light filing or ironing 
> too.Strings all level? (or vertically parallel?)  i've never had to 
> brighten up a Yamaha either!  This is a new one for me as well.
>
> Paul