[CAUT] Voicing Steinway D

[Fred Sturm]

	Actually, my impression from high speed videography is that it is  
anyone's guess how the hammer will end up aligned when it hits the  
string. Flexing of the shank happens in a vibrational pattern, and how  
many vibrations happen between push off and striking the string  
depends on velocity. The amplitude of flexing and the flexing "period"  
will vary with hammer mass and with shank grain/mass/stiffness/etc.
	I had always intuited that the hammer would be "flexed back" on a  
harder blow, so the front felt would contact. But I have come to the  
conclusion after watching Kawai and Birkett films and reading  
Askenfelt and others that it is not nearly so simple.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm at unm.edu



On Jan 7, 2008, at 7:42 AM, Jim Busby wrote:

> David,
>
> That’s what I used to think too, but I guess high speed photography  
> shows otherwise. I think if the hammer remained under the jack ALL  
> the way it would be as you said, but since it has that moment of  
> release (let off to the string) it kind of kicks to the other side.  
> At least that’s how I’ve heard it explained.
>
> Jim
>
> From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf  
> Of David Love
> Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 9:48 PM
> To: 'College and University Technicians'
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] Voicing Steinway D
>
> I would think that on a hard blow the hammer would under center  
> because of the flexing of the shank hitting more on the proximal  
> side.  Similarly on a soft blow, the hammer would hit more on the  
> backside, though I suppose it depends ultimately on how accurately  
> the hammers were bored in the first place.
>
> David Love
> davidlovepianos at comcast.net
> www.davidlovepianos.com
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf  
> Of Michael Wathen
> Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 8:18 PM
> To: College and University Technicians
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] Voicing Steinway D
>
> Fred Drasche was a career Steinway Concert Technician.  He used to  
> refer to the front side of the hammer as the "carry side" and the  
> backside of the hammer was the attack side.  He believed that on a  
> fast blow the hammer would overcenter the strike point on the hammer  
> and hit string on the backside (attack side).  Similarily, on very  
> soft to medium blows it would be the front side (carry). If you want  
> to produce more attack sound then, you place more hardener on the  
> attack side of the hammer. He also said you only get one chance to  
> apply lacquer.  This is because the lacquer is a barrier unto  
> itself. A subsequent application will not penetrate to a deeper  
> level within the hammer.
>
> Michael Wathen
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: itunepiano at aol.com
> To: caut at ptg.org
> Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 7:06 PM
> Subject: [CAUT] Voicing Steinway D
>
> During a 3 day Concert Prep on a 10 year old D, I added Lacquer to  
> power up the piano.   Lacquer would not soak into the key side of  
> the hammers but did soak easily into the backcheck side of the  
> hammers.  I applied the lacquer on the lmid shoulders only, not from  
> the side of the hammer.   Is it an accepted voicing technique to  
> lacquer one side of the hammer and not the other?    What are the  
> advantages or disadvantages?    Bob.
> More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail!

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