Thanks Mike, I'll look at all of this. I do need to look back at old articles-I remember one long series in particular that I read. Thanks for your time and ideas. Lance Lafargue, RPT New Orleans Chapter Covington, LA. lafargue@iamerica.net ---------- > From: Michael Jorgensen <Michael.Jorgensen@cmich.edu> > To: pianotech@ptg.org > Subject: Re: voicing Steinway L > Date: Wednesday, February 04, 1998 2:18 AM > > Hi Lance, > > Lance Lafargue wrote: > > > > Michael, > > 1)Is Palida the stone-like material used to rub rust off with? > > Yes, that's it. Cleaning the rust should add a few micronewtons of tone > and brightness. > > > 2)How deep is deep on the needling? Where? Can't I ruin the hammer > > Ed Foote did a good job of describing it. It should go about all the > way to the wood. You can also try entering the hammer at the 10 and > 2:00 positions. The idea is to release inner compression felt which > expands the hammer (in some cases you can actually see a hammer grow). > This puts outer felt under more tension for a brighter tone and also > adds "spring" to the hammer. The analogy I have seen given is that "a > hammer should be like a basketball with "give and spring" as opposed to > a hard baseball. A basketball when it strikes a gym floor makes a nice > loud resounding "Boom". A baseball makes an obnoxious and weaker sound" > I'm not sure who came up with this, but I know there are several > excellent Journal articles over the last decade. Check Authors like > Jack Krefting, Airy (spelling) Issac, Bob Davis, Matt Grossman etc on > voicing. > I have seen some people deep needle through the sides of the hammer > below and inside the shoulders. After this, you will need to relevel the > hammer. Another technique is making a small nitch in the hammer head > moulding just above the shank equally on both sides. I have seen all of > these ideas both work and not work in increasing tone and sustain. Use > in moderation, as overdoing it will turn the hammer into a worthless > ball of fluff, but they may be each good for a few micronewtons of tone. > Another thing to check is to compare the amount of felt above the > moulding on the weak notes to see if it is more than the brighter ones. > Simply filing the hammer down will correct this. Again don't go too far > as you'll end up with a small hammer that overcenters and doesn't check > high enough for good repetition (i.e a host of regulation problems and a > tone like a baseball) Been there-Done that! Hardening is a better way > to go in that case. Point here is that all these things can be useful > if done in moderation, and a few might only give you a nannonewton of > tone. > Good Luck > Mike Jorgensen RPT
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