At 02:05 PM 07/28/2000 -0400, you wrote: > >Ron's talk about juicing hammers reminds me that maybe > >it would be good to relate my own experiments with juicing. > > >On this same piano, the first capo section was terribly > >bright and zingy. I helped the zingers some by fiddling > >with the wire, but it still had too much "tang" sound for > >the rest of the piano. So, yesterday, I added a little > >vodka to most hammers in the first capo, on the front > >shoulder. > > >I found it instantly effective, really, too effective. > >I still need more experience before I can tell how to > >reverse the vodka softening, or how it lasts over time. > >For now, the tone seems good if a little soft-edged, and > >I'm leaving it for about six weeks, to see whether it > >brightens with heavy playing, which this piano gets lots > >of. The owner tried it, and can take the present (not > >extreme) softness in stride. I told him that if it starts > >to annoy him, just to say the word and I'll come and iron > >them and maybe juice them. > > >Vodka does seem much pleasanter than tearing the felt > >with needles, though (and no blood on the hammers), > >and it won't leave any foreign material (like Downy) > >behind. > > > >Susan Kline > >Susan, > >This is a great post, especially the parts above referring to vodka. I'm >going to keep it. Finally, a way to write off my consumption as a business >expense. And switching from beer won't be too hard at all. Thanks. > >John Lillico, RPT (hic) >Oakville, Ontario Beer really smells up a piano. Susan
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