Hamburg vs American S & S

[stanwood]

Stanwood Wrote:

>>A NY Steinway with a proper hammer weight will feel just fine.

Dennis wrote:

>...proper?....Gee David,  so then we agree that NY hammers are too heavy?

Some are, some are not.  There is a lot of variation in hammer weights and
there is no specification weight.  Makers are afraid of that.  To much work
to make the spec I guess.

I just surveyed a new NY D at New England Conservatory.  The average ratio
was 6.0 (medium zone)and the strike weight was down the middle of the medium
zone.  Medium + Medium = a great feel.  This piano feels great.  Now if the
hammers were in the high zone then you would get more tone and power but at
the expense of making the action heavy.

>I am currently under fire from a prominent local dealer for "modifiying"
>hammer weight. Is your local dealer aware of your modified key ratios? How
>have you handled that?

Keep records of what is was and what you did.

The bottom line - is the customer happy?


            David C. Stanwood Stanwood@tiac.net
            West Tisbury, Massachusetts     USA
            On the Island of  Martha's Vineyard
        http://www.tiac.net/users/stanwood/st&co.htm

"The art in hammer making has ever been to obtain a solid,
 firm foundation, graduating in softness and elasticity toward
 the top surface, which latter has to be silky and elastic in
 order to produce a mild, soft tone for pianissimo playing, but
 with sufficient resistace back of it to permit the hard blow of
 fortissimo playing."                 - Alfred Dolge 1911