That is a good answer Willem. Ed Guerra At 07:51 PM 6/5/98 EDT, you wrote: >In a message dated 98-06-05 18:37:32 EDT, you write: > >>Hi ! >> >>I recently signed onto your list and am extremely impressed with some of the >>technical discussions - I never realized piano technology was such an art! >> >>I have one question for which an answer will make me forever indebted to you >>folks..... >> >>I have a new "B". At this point, I am having this instrument tuned every 2 >>months. Is it "normal" to also need a full voicing that frequently? In >>order >>to get one "voice", my technician had to extensively voice 80 of the 88 >>hammers to match a few odd-balls. The resulting sound was extremely muffled, >>but evenly voiced. He told me that the hardening agent was very unevenly >>applied to the hammers at the factory. I am a trained pianist, and I can >>attest to the fact that he truly did a remarkable job in voicing -- something >>the dealer tech, even after two attempts, could not do ! (I am hanging on to >>this new tech!) I understand the cold-press/hot-press difference and that >>Steinway hammers are more variable than most, but is the variance I have >>described excessive/typical/acceptable from a new "B" ? I am considering >>having the hammers replaced because since the last voicing, I have driven the >>piano only about 20 hours (with "elevator music"), and the odd-balls are >>already prominently sticking out of the aural terrain. >> >>Thank you. >> >> > > > >Voicing is something that is done on an "as needed" basis, depending on the >amount of use a piano gets, or the desires of the player. If you are the only >one who plays the piano, there should not be a need to constantly voice the >whole piano. You have to tell the technician what sound you like, and what >you don't like, and then it is the technicains job to try to voice only those >hammers that stick out. If you leave the decision to the technician, then the >piano will sound like he wants it to sound, not the way you want it to sound. > >Communication is the key here. I would suggest you become an active >participant in the voicing proceedure. Tell the tech which notes stand out, >and ask him to voice that hammer to match the ones around it. > >If there is a problem that seems to come back after a short time, tell the >tech about it. > >Willem Bees RPT >St. louis > Ed Guerra edguerra@mail.utexas.edu Austin, TX
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