Water/hammers/steam/voicing

[Roger Jolly]

At 03:25 AM 11/28/97 -0500, you wrote:
>JElving@aol.com wrote:
> 
> 
>> When you talk to 10 technicians, you are likely to get 10 different
oppinions
>> on treating hammers with alcohol/water. And you will get 10 more
opinions on
>> the use of steam.
>>  
>Thanks John, 
>I agree, 15 opinions from 10 techs etc. I did look up the info on steam
>in last yrs PTJ.  By the way, Don Dusenberry are you out there? I was 
>shocked to find out Don was not with PianoDisc any longer.  I went to
>the Orlando convention hoping to do the class on PianoDisc servicing,
>but apparently there was not enough interest to do it.
>
>Also, regarding voicing in general...to all in general...what is your
>vote on voicing techniques in the following scenario:
>A concert hall with different artists every week, maybe daily, each of 
>whom want the piano voiced up or down according to the music being
>played.  
>
>What's the best way to bring it 'up' and 'down' with consistency and
>control?  How about a combination of steam to bring it up,  and hammer
>ironing to bring it down?  
>
>Brad Smith, RPT
>Manchester, NH
>
>Hi Brad,
         I read your correction, type of thing that I would do.
To answer the last para. I iron all the time at the university under these
conditions. 2 yamaha CF's and a Bose.  If you have read my post re;
steaming. I can now add a few more subtleties.
  I am assuming minor changes are being made. Subtle changes can be made by
having the cloth quite damp and proping the hammers up and using just the
heat from your hands pressing down firmly on the strike points and holding.
Two to three days later the piano is back to normal. It will reduce the
attack quite nicly. I generally do this 1 Hr before concert time.
  In general the cloth should be bearly moist for these kinds of reductions
in brilliance or power.
  Significant increases in brilliance can be achieved by ironing "up"
again having the tails firmly mounted, will enable you to exert some fair
pressure on to the shoulders and face of the hammer. Remember when the
hammer is made the maker is controlling two variables HEAT & PRESSURE, this
technique is doing the same thing but not as efficiently, or as deeply, a
light application of steam reverses the process.
  The two Bose concert grands that I work on, I am frequently voicing up
the first soprano section, That seems to be an inherent weakness due to the
lack of forward termination, and steaming down the bass shoulders to reduce
volume,
this piano has the finest bass of any instrument that I have ever heard,
but getting the other 60 plus notes to balance and match is a labour of
love and requires constant attention. I would be nice to hear some feed
back on experiences with voicing and balance on these instruments.
  A comment was made about a chair person of a piano committee, highly
recommended. In my situation the head of the piano department and myself
are the sole Tsars, with regards to the speach qualities of the theatre
concert grands,
this has lead to fewer complaints and less hassels. 3 times a year we take
an afternoon and review the 3 concert grands, and come to a mutual
concensus, and correct accordingly.
  Hope this sheds some light.  
Roger Jolly
University of Saskatchewan
Dept. of Music.