[CAUT] Weikert felt; was 80 year old S&S hammers

[Alan McCoy]

Hi Jim,

I just installed a Del Fandrich designed, Terry Farrell made and ribbed
board. This is a very flexible board with a lighter than Ron Nosman rib
scale and it's a tapered board (9mm max in places to 6mm min in places). I
won't be rebuilding the action until next summer. So I had a chance to hear
it with the old hammers. Those hammers on the S&S board were voiced fairly
mellow - not too dark, not too bright. But it was not an inspiring sound. On
Del's board they are so bright and pingy and I cannot kill them. I've tried!
:-) This is a very lively board. We've had several guest recitals and they
have been drawn to this board even given its current too-bright sound. I
think it is the liveliness and vitality that attracts over the other D,
which is still an amazingly nice 100 year old.

I will be using Ronsen Bacons on it. Reports to follow in a few months. The
last set of Ronsen Bacon hammers I installed (last summer) were very good -
consistent thickness and hardness (or softness, your choice) and weight.
They were firmer than the same hammer from several years back, but still
needing hardener. But on Del's design? I can well imagine not needing
lacquer.

Alan


> From: Jim Busby <jim_busby at byu.edu>
> Reply-To: "College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>" <caut at ptg.org>
> Date: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 05:33:40 -0600
> To: "College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>" <caut at ptg.org>
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] Weikert felt; was 80 year old S&S hammers
> 
> Ron, Alan,
> 
> I haven't seen a lot written on this. Does this mean that, let's say, a "hot
> pressed" hammer vs. the so called cold pressed would go better on a CC board
> vs RC&S? Or that one of your boards will sound best with a certain hammer, but
> the same hammer wouldn't on another board? When I replace hammers I know some
> sound better on certain pianos by trial and error, but what is the science
> here, for us non-scientific types? Or at least some guidelines?
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Jim Busby
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Ron
> Nossaman
> Sent: Monday, April 13, 2009 9:43 PM
> To: caut at ptg.org
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] Weikert felt; was 80 year old S&S hammers
> 
> David C. Stanwood wrote:
>> Hi Alan,
>> 
>> And the weight of the hammers is a fundamental factor as well.
>> 
>> David Stanwood
> 
> Absolutely, within the limits established by the *type* and
> specific design of the board.
> Ron N
> 
>