Hammer changing

[antares]

> From: "Neto da Rocha" <piano440@clix.pt>
> Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 17:46:13 -0000
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Subject: Hammer changing
> 
> Dear List
> 
> I´ve been working in a Yamaha CF III and i found the hammers to much
> damage... i think it is better to change them... Can some of you tell me if
> it´s better to change the hammers for new original CF III hammers (very
> expensive!!!) or there´s another kind of hammers with similar caracteristics
> but cheaper...
> 
> Thank you very much


> 
> José Fernando Rocha


Hello José Fernando Rocha

I am (amongst others) a Yamaha technician in Holland and have received a
training at the Yamaha concert grand department in the factory in Hamamatsu.

The hammers used for the CFIII-S have a very particular felt and it requires
an adapted method of voicing.
To use another kind of hammer is very well possible as one could glue any
hammer on a Yamaha shank.
The question however is : is there a hammer good enough to measure up to the
ones used on this instrument?

To answer that question I could tell you the following :
For many years Yamaha has used the same good old hammers we all know. They
usually sound pretty good and are a substantial part of the Yamaha sound and
quality. And yet, Yamaha has chosen to replace this felt with another kind
of felt. It is called Wurzen felt and it has specific qualities.
This felt, made of the very best wool, has fibers which are extremely
elastic, it produces a powerful tone when treated right and it needs - very
little - voicing.

When I was in Hamamatsu for my final 'Yamaha lessons' on voicing, I
initially learned how to voice these 'new' Yamaha hammers which Yamaha now
uses on all their CFIII-S grand pianos.
Just to show me the difference between these new hammers and the old type
hammers, my instructor one day ordered me to install the old type hammers on
a brand new instrument.
After some time had passed he came to my voicing room to see how I fared
with those 'old type hammers' and when he saw that I was sweating profusely
and heard me ranting and raving and cursing the hammers I was voicing, he
produced a big smile because his teaching method had proven to be right :
from then on, I truly loved the new felt and the new Yamaha hammers and
since then I only buy hammers covered with this gorgeous high quality felt
- (my business partner and I have the Renner company in Germany make 'our
own' specific hammers, covered with this Wurzen felt, and we are extremely
happy with them).

This little story may show you that the Yamaha Corporation obviously has
invested a lot of time and experience in finding the right felt for the
right hammer, for the right instrument.
In my opinion it is not possible to find 'other and better' hammers  for
less money and, since we can obtain these beautiful hammers already glued to
the shanks (a complete hammer assembly) for a reasonable price it also saves
a lot of time.
A regular Yamaha grand hammer change usually will take 6 to7 hours including
complete regulation, tuning and first voicing. A CFIII-S hammer change takes
more time as the method is more complicated and time consuming. When done
right the result is always very much rewarding and using a different hammer
is in my opinion absolutely out of the question.

my two - Euro - cents,


friendly greetings
from

Antares,

Amsterdam, Holland

"where music is, no harm can be"

visit my website at :  http://www.concertpianoservice.nl/