PLIER VOICING - SURVEY

[Oleg Isaac]

Peter KESTENS wrote:
> 
> 't MUZIEKINSTRUMENTENATELIER
> PETER KESTENS
> BELGIUM
> KESTENS.P@DEBCOM.BE
> -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
> Van: BSimon1234@aol.com <BSimon1234@aol.com>
> Aan: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Datum: vrijdag 28 november 1997 0:22
> Onderwerp: PLIER VOICING - SURVEY
> 
> >I have been reading all the posts about wetting hammers, steaming hammers,
> > stabbbing them with needles, washing plastics and lacquers in and out of
> >them, ironing them, etc. I am beginning to feel pity for the poor little
> >things.
> >
> >Let's have it!   Who out there has had good or bad experiences with plier
> >voicing!  Are there any strong prejudices about the way one massages wool
> >fibers in hard hammers?
> >
> >IMHO - Two minutes of plier voicing,  which uses gas burner pliers or small
> >Vice Grip pliers to squeeze the shoulder areas of hammers that is normally
> >needled in voicing, can make a huge improvement in tone, especially to
> Jesse
> >French spinets, Winter spinets,  and 1910 big old uprights with rock hard
> >hammers. I use the technique on perhaps 4 or 5 pianos a year and never
> charge
> >for it because an entire set of hammers can be treated in less than three
> >minutes.  I am not suggesting that one go regulate a Steinway concert grand
> >this way, -- but WHY NOT? - It is/was a technique very heavily used decades
> >ago but has become unfashionable now.  I would love to hear technical
> reasons
> >for its demise!
> >
> >I KNOW that one is supposed to sell a new set of imported hammers and a
> >$200.00 voicing job on these PSO's, but that is unrealistic.  By the way,
> > the plier voicing holds for about 6 months to a year.
> >
> >(Putting on my flame retarding suit)
> >Bill Simon
> >Phoenix
> 
> Can you please tell me what plier voicing just means?  I want to treat my
> hammers and thus follow the discussion of treating hammers with
> water/alcohol, steaming with much attention.
> Peter


Peter,

I've seen plier voicing done on new original YAMAHA hammers in a voicing
seminar from Guy Mann in 1976 or so.

He used ordinary pliers to break a little the treble hammers only and
told us we could use that method when in a hurry.

I used that method on (almost) all the hammers of a 158 YOUNG CHANG,
with good results breaking the central hardness (under the shoulder),
but I have find it very difficult to master. Finished with needles ,
evened wih a "hammer resetter"
Surely the regulattionnable pliers (as Facom mechanical) could make the
job more even.

Best regards

The steam frighted me too much I surely will not use that.

Isaac OLEG