Okay, with all the chips in, I'm going to go with needle voicing this time. I need to respect the wishes of the manufacturer. I have used both steam and rubbing alcohol to voice very hard "pingy" hammers in the past with excellent, long-lasting results. For Those of you who say that steam voicing produces inconsistant result I would argue that point. The hammers need about twenty hours of playing to "break in" again after the use of steam or alcohol, then they can be touched up with filing and some needling if necessary. But the results can be dramatic and it does last (unlike shallowing needling across the crown which packs right up in no time and you back to square one). Another point worth making is that needling a hammer does break down the integrity of the felt fibers in the hammer, too much needling can destroy the hammer (then all you have left is supertone, thank you). But I stray from my initial purpose.... I would appreciate any input/advice on deep-needling. What type of needles should I use, what size, how many in the tool, and how many jabs and where. Thanks to all for you advice. It is helpful and appreciated. John Gunderson, Associate Member, North Jersey Chapter
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