[CAUT] Hammers

[Fred Sturm]

I would certainly defer to your opinion on this particular soundboard  
style, as I don't have experience with it. I did want to point out  
this alternative approach, though, for lacquering hammers, in addition  
to shoulders or soak from the top. Adding lacquer at the core can be  
done very subtly and gradually. Apply right at the tip of the core,  
and let it soak an area more or less circular around that point, which  
can be controlled pretty precisely with a small enough hypo needle. If  
it wasn't enough, another application can build a layer that creates a  
larger circle. Needling with one long needle can back it off. There is  
no addition of brittle attack zing in the softer parts of the range,  
as with surface application, and there is a faster build of power  
compared to shoulder application. It's another option that is out  
there, an easy and cheap experiment short of hammer replacement.
Fred
On Jun 24, 2010, at 3:52 PM, David Love wrote:

> As a comparison I would say not on these bellies.  A strong  
> application to
> the lower shoulders will produce something different than an attempt  
> to wick
> the same solution to within 2 mm of the crown.  That strong solution  
> which
> will reinforce the lower shoulder will not produce the same result  
> beneath
> the strike point.  Under the strike point it will be too harsh  
> sounding.  I
> don't know this particular piano but having seen many of Del's  
> iterations
> and designs I would say that you must be cautious with lacquer  
> solutions.
> The bellies are light and tend to respond very adequately with softer
> hammers.  The idea that a D belly would even be close to something
> acceptable with an unreinforced Ronsen Bacon hammer should be a clue  
> as to
> the responsiveness.   If you want to wick something under the crown  
> then a
> much lighter solution is in order than the one which will be used to
> reinforce the lower shoulders.  At least that's been my experience.
>
> David Love
> www.davidlovepianos.com

Regards,
Fred Sturm
fssturm at unm.edu
“Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to  
shape it.” Brecht

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