My experience with these style boards is that the "boom" in the midrange is controlled by the installation of a full cut-off bar shortening the longest ribs which cross right under the middle of the long bridge. This creates a much more controlled and clear tone through that section that is not prone to a boom, or some would say a distortion, especially at very high levels of playing. While a heavier hammer might give a bit more heft to the sound at attack, the design of these boards may inhibit your ability to get what you are looking for. The trade off is a much more balanced attack through the entire scale. I think this effect is to be found on the pianos that employ full bass cut off bars and is not necessarily the result of the RC&S design as such except that the stiffness of the board through the scale is more calculated being based on beam deflection formulas rather than the lesser predictable compression crowning method. A Boesendorfer, for example, which also employs a full bass cutoff bar also has as more controlled attack through that section. Of course, there are other differences there as well. I have not had negative results using lacquer on Bacon hammers on these boards although I think it's important to use fairly weak solutions. With a high solids nitrocellulose lacquer (MacLac) that I am using I'm putting 10 - 15 grams (usually 10 for the tenor and bass and up to 15 for the capo section) of lacquer into a 4 oz hypo oiler topped off with pure acetone, a relationship of approximately 1:10 for the weaker end and 1:7 for the stronger end (4 oz = 112 grams). I don't go much stronger than that and that will impact the tonal attack on these boards without creating anything ugly. On very light assemblies I have found that the unlacquered Bacon hammer is enough but this assembly, I would guess, is a bit heavier given the model pianos. My applications are from both sides of the crown and allowing to wick underneath the crown over the top of the molding (important in my view). Any zinginess that forms with this level solution for the most part disappears with the first impact of the hammer on the string or some very light needling. It still leaves plenty of resilience in the hammers. On this board I would probably start with one application of 1:10 solution through the set to keep things in balance and see what happens. Remember that the lacquer really needs a week or two (or longer) to fully harden though you'll get about 80% of the effect within a day or so. David Love www.davidlovepianos.com On Jun 28, 2010, at 1:27 PM, McCoy, Alan wrote: His suggestions were Ronsen Wurzen or Abel Naturals. These Bacons do have a some lacquer in the top octave but that’s it. I have added lead to the hammers to get to a #9 (top med) SW. I have been very hesitant to add lacquer to the hammers because when I first put the board in I had the old action still intact so I knew from listening to these older hammers with the new board that lacquer is not what the board needs. But I do think more heft might help. I will try the clip trick on the shanks to give it a test. The boom issue is really most noticeable in the mid-range. The bass, though different than a stock bass in that it doesn’t have the growly edge, is good. Octaves 6 and 7 are well within the normal range of expectations.
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