S&S Hammers

[Newton Hunt]

Weight IS important.  It is the begining joint.

The problem with "treating" hammers individually is that it is
difficult to control the set as a whole.

If you are going to do something to the hammers do it to all and do it
as consistently as possible.  If you are going to harden hammers
harden them all and as equally as possible.  YOu can taper the
treatment, that is a given, but taper it evenly.

If you are going to massive voicing set the action up on the bench and
voice each hammer moving from end to end and taper the amount of
voicing as you wish from what you heard of the tone.

Once the tough work is don then you can do the individual work.

Start at the middle, the top of the middle section and voice one
hammer until you like it's sound.  Then go up one and do the same then
to to the first one below the start point and id that one.  Work
alternately.  This helps keep a tone image in mind and it also helps
to prevent ear fatigue and boredom.

WHen you are finished play octaves up and down he scale.  If you jumps
out at you then only of the two is off, either too soft or too hard. 
Find the one and treat accordingly.  Then run fifths or fourths up and
down the scale to find the others that will stand out and analyze the
ones that stand out and determine which is off, one that it too hard
or the one that is too soft by running chromatics up and down around
the two notes.  It is amazing how they will stand out.

Being consistent in all things helps doing good work and good voicing.

		Newton