on needling old upright hammers

[antares]

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On 16-jul-04, at 21:36, Alpha88x@aol.com wrote:

> Greetings,
>
>  =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 We were told in piano tech =
school NOT to needle hammers=20
> right on the crown. Upon arriving home from 9 months at tech school, I=20=

> was Jones-ing to refurbish my old upright and needle the hammers in my=20=

> Yamaha U3, as the tone was harsh on both pianos.
>
>  =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 Well, I first did the old =
upright's hammers. Needled=20
> the "shoulders of the hammers careful to not go near the crowns. Put=20=

> the action back in the piano and I heard hardly no change. That=20
> horrible harsh, explosive, glassy sound prevailed. So, I decided to=20
> slightly needle just a few of the offenders alittle closer to the=20
> crown. No difference...tried alittle further into the crowns....To=20
> make a long story short, I didn't alleviate the harsh tone till I=20
> deeply pounded the needle right in the crowns of the things! What=20
> gives?
>
>  =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 I got the results I =
wanted, namely a more mellow tone,=20
> but only when I did exactly what I was told NOT to do.
>
>  Julia Gottchall,
>  Reading, PA

Hello Julia,

Normally speaking, a hammer gets a 'cushion' during the 'first voicing'=20=

in the factory.
This means that an initial shock absorber is made right there and then.
During the so called second 'voicing', the sound volume is controlled,=20=

meaning that the voicing tech tries to voice the instrument down to a=20
certain sound volume.
After that, the instrument gets sold to a dealer and subsequently to a=20=

customer.
All we have to do as 'voicing techs' is toning (needling) down the=20
hardness in the crown, caused by playing the hammers.
This means that the hammers get pounded in the crown area and thus get=20=

harder and harder, just by playing them.
Most technicians learn that crown needling or near crown needling is=20
dangerous, and that it is much safer to go down to the shoulders.
In fact, they then ruin the hammers because they administer (usually=20
unknowingly) more cushion in the cushion area, which causes more shock=20=

absorbing and thus takes away power, the basic power of the hammer.
What customers do not like is the percussive sound, caused by the=20
hardening of the crown area, cause by playing piano.
So, what I mean to say, is that when a piano gets loud and shrill, we=20
need to needle the NEAR crown area to lessen the tension just there=20
where it has been built up.
Adding more cushion in the upper or lower shoulders, will kill the=20
basic power of the hammer and will not diminish the hardness and shrill=20=

(high overtone rich) crown stiffness.

friendly greetings
from
Andr=E9 Oorebeek

Amsterdam -
The Netherlands

www.concertpianoservice.nl
www.grandpiano.nl

"where music is, no harm can be"

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