Richard writes: <snip bunch of stuff I agree with> >>Can you survive in this business without leveling strings?, Of course you can. To a degree, I gotta disagree.... you can't "survive anymore". NOw that you have heard the improvement that level strings makes, it will gnaw at you when you omit doing it, even for simply a concert tuning. You will only be happy when all the strings in your life will be level. Hearing the difference will change your professional tolerances. It will represent a new level of hearing focus that will carry over into all of your voicing procedure. >If you have time to voice the hammers or level the strings but not >both.....voice the hammers....greater returns will be derived. If you have >time for both, do both.>> I don't really disagree with that, but would suggest a different limit. I.e., voicing depends equally on leveling and tuning, so don't voice without both. Hammers mated to strings should be as integral to voicing as sharp needles, or solid hammer support, or any of the other necessities. If you are only sticking needles in hammers, and doing it without level strings, I think time is being wasted, and hammers are being damaged. ( not to even mention the disastrous changes that can occur with the una corda pedal). Often, the leveling is the faster way to even out the voicing than changing the hammer. Extreme cases can cause dampers to be held off newly lowered strings, so get into it with your eyes and ears open. Regards, Ed "xcuse the soap , I don't know where it came from......
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