1881-83 Steinway,#48638, image #2

[Delwin D Fandrich]

----- Original Message -----
From: <kam544@gbronline.com>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: November 21, 2002 2:54 PM
Subject: Re: 1881-83 Steinway,#48638, image #2


> >Any signs of lead having once been installed ?
> >
> >>kam544@gbronline.com wrote:
> >>Holes in the hammer heads are only in the treble section.
>
> Greg, Phil, Richard,
>
> The holes start at A5 and continue through to C8. The holes are clean
> and symmetrical with no evidence of lead, or of any other after
> market activity to my vision.
>
> Keith McGavern


This was a technique used by several companies to reduce the mass of their
upper tenor and treble hammers. (Back in the old days the hard, brassy sound
that comes from dense, massive hammers was considered unmusical.)

In an upright, because of the offset of the overstrung bass strings, it is a
good idea to add a bit of mass to the bass hammers (they are typically
shorter) and take away a bit of mass in the upper tenor and treble hammers
to reduce hammer knock. We accomplished this in the Fandrich Vertical by
making the bass hammers 11 mm wide, the tenor hammers 10 mm wide and the
treble hammers 9 mm wide.

Del