Hi Eric Interesting post. Not having any real experience with the New York variant I hesitate to speak directly to the issue of NY Steinways pre-lacquered hammers. But my experience in general is that the more control I have over the entire voicing process the better. This is an available option to me when I re-hammer a piano but not so when taking over responsibilities for brand new instruments. Hamburg uses lacquer only in the highest octave region, and they add this solution before any needling is done. This is contrary to advise from Georges Amman, there top independant and most sought after course instructor at the Academy. He taught us to first get the <<body>> of the hammer optimal, even in the highest regions before adding any solution to increase brightness and power. I must say the three sets I witnessed (mine and the other 2 participants) responded beautifully to this approach. All this said.. I've taken responsibilites now for 3 brand new D's a C and 3 B's fresh from Hamburg and cant say I have found any unacceptable start condition for further voicing. But I do prefer to do it from the get go myself. I get to know the hammer / piano better that way much quicker. Cheers RicB Israel, Since last December we have received 72 new Steinway grands including 2 Ds and 20 Bs which we selected in NY. During my 4 trips to the NY selection room in the course of a month I developed a pretty good rapport with Dirk and Terry who are the concert technicians preparing pianos for the selection room. The official word I got from them and others there at the factory including Kent Webb and Eric Schandall is that each set of hammers is pre-soaked before installation in 3:1 lacquer/acetone. The whole set is dipped for 30 seconds is what I was told. In the later voicing operations they will apply more 3:1 acetone/lacquer to the crown if they think it is necessary. My experience with these pianos as well as with other sets from Steinway I have ordered and installed is that more often than not more lacquering is necessary, especially in the high treble and bass. I don't know of any "plasicky" stuff that is being used at Steinway. The concert techs used to use an acetone/keytop solution applied very sparingly (2 or 3 drops) to the crown if a note needed a bit more attack but they are now using acetone/lacquer in the same way instead, at least at the factory. When I hear stories like yours I am always amazed because my experience has been so different. I have had a lot of contact with the Steinway folks at the factory over the years having taken all the Steinway Academy classes and going there for many selections so I don't think my experience could be seen as being isolated. I am very pleased with the hammers Steinway is making today and am having wonderful results here at the Conservatory as well as with the work I do on C&A pianos for the Cincinnati Symphony. It concerns me that others might read your post and think that Steinway is sending out hammers that are "pre-plasticked" and unusable which simply has not been my experience. Eric
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