Oblique hammers

[Stéphane Collin]

Hi Joe and Penny,

To answer your question, the Pleyel boudoir has a small continuous brass rod in upper sections, creating a duplex like effect, though not in tune with the speaking length.  But my Bechstein has indeed braiding on the plate all the scale long, and extra braiding on the tenor.
About the out of phase issue, I had the feeling that on a soft blow, only one string was hit, the other were positively vibrating sympathetically (not sure of the word).  And on a hard blow, all three strings had a truly different sound, the third nearly without fundamental, but with much higher partials than what you usually achieve on a "normal" hammer situation.  But indeed, in the hight trebble, it didn't work well, but creating that poor sound like when string leveling is not good, what you reffer to as an out of phase issue (or not ?).
I think it is a combination of low string tension and soft hammer that makes the trick efficient, but I am not sure.
What is sure, is that I heard some very nice sounds on both instruments.

Regards,

Stéphane Collin.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joe And Penny Goss" <imatunr@srvinet.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2002 5:54 PM
Subject: Re: Oblique hammers


| Hi Stephane,
| This would result in a tone that for me  would have many false issues to
| deal with as the strings would be sounding out of phase.
| One question arrises in my mind, does the piano have string braiding on the
| waste ends?
| Joe Goss
| imatunr@srvinet.com
| www.mothergoosetools.com
| ----- Original Message -----
| From: "Stéphane Collin" <collin.s@skynet.be>
| To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
| Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2002 7:11 AM
| Subject: Oblique hammers
| 
| 
| > Hi List.
| >
| > I recently serviced a small Pleyel 5'2" piano from the '30.  It had the
| most charming sound I ever heard (a real miracle).  Up 'till the last
| trebble notes were singing with unusual beautiful tone, long lasting and
| very dynamic.
| > It featured something I have never seen before : from the tenor to the
| trebble, all hammers were filed a little oblique, so on a light blow they
| hit only one string, but not too much, so on a hard one, they hit all three
| strings.  The result was incredible.  I suppose on a hard blow, the hammers
| stay less in contact with the third string of the unisson, letting more
| overtones develop, while the longer lasting contact with the first string of
| the unison gives full power and sustain to the fundamental of the note, the
| blend of both making this unusual beautiful expressive sound.
| >
| > Has anybody seen this before?
| >
| > I couldn't wait and try this on one of my pianos, and with happy result :
| unbelievable pure and sweet pianos, yet very colourful and powerful fortes.
| It doesn't work on the low tenors, neither on the high trebble, but
| elsewhere, waw !
| > I'm just afraid for premature wear of the hammers and maybe some trouble
| at the flange center pin, carrying so an unusual torque.  Also, I believe if
| someone notice this on one of my pianos, he will believe I am an outrageous
| piano destructor.
| >
| > Any comment welcome.
| >
| > Stéphane Collin
| > (Brussels, Belgium)
| >
| >
| 
|