visegrip "voicing"

[Dave Nereson]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment

  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: wparham=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Friday, June 08, 2001 9:38 PM
  Subject: visegrip "voicing"


  Does anybody know about the technique to use visegrips to voice an =
extremely hard hammer?  Thanks, Wendy

  Well, some argue that visegrips "destroy the felt", but I disagree -- =
they may destroy the ideal balance of tension and compression in some =
hammers, but I use them anyway on extremely hard hammers.  It's easy to =
soften them too much if you're not careful, however.  I set the tool so =
it can't squeeze too much -- maybe to just 1/16 in. narrower than the =
thickness of the hammer, for starters.  Determine if the whole hammer is =
hard or just the strike point, by trying to dig in with a thumbnail or =
by probing with a voicing needle.  If the whole hammer seems hard, I =
would start at 9 and 3 o'clock or maybe 10 and 2, and squeeze midway =
between the surface and the molding.  Usually you have to see the felt =
actually distort and flex A LITTLE, to know that it's "breaking up", or =
loosening.  Try one note first, barely compressing the felt at all, see =
what it does, then if little effect, move closer to the strike point or =
squeeze harder ("deeper") by turning the adjusting screw farther in, =
allowing the grips to close a little farther.  But be cautious -- it's =
easy to go too far.   Some hammers require squeezing right on the strike =
point, but this tends to "cup" the striking surface, so I try to do =
11:30 and 12:30, which may still scrunch the striking surface, =
especially in the hi treble, but if they're really hard, I do it anyway, =
then smooth them off with a sandpaper paddle, and use the voicing needle =
to fine-voice, since the Vise-grips are more for a gross softening-down =
of string-breaking "rocks".  --Dave Nereson, RPT  =20

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/f2/3e/52/0e/attachment.htm

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--