Help (please)! Voicing the Yamaha hammer

[Susan Kline]

Tom --

Before you go crazy needling more and more, you might try steaming just one
or two, filing lightly, and trying them to see what you get. If they are too
soft afterwords, you can always put just a dab of juice on them, bang them
lightly with the back of your nice Renner tool, or file them a little more.
(the samples--only one or two) You might find colors you never dreamt of.
(with luck) Remember -- don't leave them in the steam. In and right back out.


At 10:46 PM 3/14/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Dear colleagues -
>
>I'm finishing up a hammer replacement on a Yamaha DC7 Disklavier in a
>recording studio. They're going to start using it on Monday. I replaced
>the original hammers with a set of pre-hung Yamaha hammers, with shanks
>and flanges attached. They are Yamaha DC7 hammers, but were made prior
>to the newer Yamaha sound (kinder, gentler, _softer_ hammer).
>
>These things are absolute bricks! I'm wanting to get that rich full
>"bloom" in the tone that I've heard in many Yamahas. Unfortunately,
>using the techniques that have stood me well on other Yamahas don't seem
>to be working here.
>
>I've done my needling very carefully and precisely, starting low down on
>the shoulder just above the reinforcement dye. Then, I worked my way up
>past 10 and 2 and then 11 and 1 o'clock positions. The needles were
>extended a measured 6 mm. I'm using #7 sharps in the beautiful Renner
>voicing tool. I've really mastered the Yamaha technique over the years:
>vigorous "punches" with the tool to drive the needles deep into the
>hammer. I can maintain accurate placement, sort of like a pianoman's
>version of mumblety-peg <g>. But there's still too much high partial
>content.
>
>I'm a great beliver in the traditional ways of voicing (although I do
>use Supertone instead of lacquer on Steinway hammers).
>
>I'm hesitant to needle the crown. However, would it be appropriate in
>this case, say with needles extended about 1 mm?
>
>Any comments or advice from others who have been on this particular path
>with Yamaha hammers would be most appreciated!
>
>Thank you very much!
>
>Sincerely,
>
>
>Tom Sheehan, RPT
>NYC Chapter
>aquinas@nyct.net
>
>

Susan Kline, R.P.T.
skline@proaxis.com
P.O. Box 1651,
Philomath, OR 97370