[CAUT] .. Those "new" S&S Hammers.

[johnsond]

wow.............,
 


With respect to everybody-- I think that inside there is another issue 
going on that is seldom talked about.  Evidently this area may not be a 
fair example of the whole market, but here it is the case that every 
concert tech in each of the "commercial" concert venues uses exclusively 
New York factory parts both on and off the stage. Anyone who does not 
conform to this expectation runs the risk of aggressive verbal back 
stabbing from those with a powerful, and non-technical, retail concern.  
One of things that attracted me and likely most of us to academia is the 
relative independence we enjoy from that scene.  It is however, still 
there. That is what it is, and enough said.

Having said that however, naturally this has been done. Always and 
purely from the desire to do only the best we can for a given piano, 
judging from our experience and what is currently available.  Renner, 
Issac, Ronsen, Able....., but in these past few years I've also decided 
to go back to stock hammers.  We've had good results and I know how to 
work with them.  A person does get tired of the fight over time, but 
those stock parts are definitely much improved and we should be able to 
feel good about using them, right?  I'm not so sure I care for this new 
"process improvement" of pre-soaking, as it takes too much of the tone 
building process out of my control (in this last case, all of it) but we 
can deal with it if necessary.  The faculty member I reported initially 
in my frustration is just fine now, and amazed at the improvement, but 
the core issue is still the same. That particular set of hammers was not 
ideal for that particular piano.

Somewhere between making us responsible for the player falling in love 
with their piano given the materials we have to work with from the 
manufacturer, and the real pressure to be limited in that same way, 
falls another unrealistic expectation. No shortage of those..... 
Actually, the players I see and work for are not so prejudice or 
opinionated as the retailers, manufacturers and technicians.  The better 
the player, the more that is the case. 


that's my 2 cents of whatever~

thanks,

Dennis Johnson
St. Olaf College