Help (please)! Voicing the Yamaha hammer

[Horace Greeley]

Tom,

Others will have different thoughts on this.

I'm sure you are aware that Yamaha factory voicing techniques include basic
voicing with
a pneumatic, multi-needled device.

6mm is probably not long enough for inital voicing work.  Also, try using 1
or 2 needles instead of 3.  Does APSCO still sell a weighted voicing tool,
and do you have one?

Start your needling farther down the shoulder and work farther up.  Do your
initial testing of "tone" at a blastissimo level, finding the weakest
points in the scale, and voicing those to where the sound breaks up on the
hardest blow.  These are your control points.  Voice the rest of the piano
to balance with these several (3-5 or so) notes.

Once you have established the very top of the dymanice range, and made it
roughly even, then you may begin to use the voicing techniques "for the
rest of us" taught in Yamaha classes.

Don't forget to occasionally go over the hammer shape, as these hammers (as
with Renner, etc.) will "bloom  out" with needling, and require
reestablishment of their basic shape (which should be maintained.

Of course, you can always use fabric softener...

Best.

Horace


>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




Horace Greeley			hgreeley@leland.stanford.edu

	"Always forgive your enemies,
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