on needling old upright hammers

[Barbara Richmond]

Corte,

Whoa!  Did someone really say to soak the hammers???  Whew.  My advice is
always to go slow.  A little might be good, but that doesn't mean a lot is
better (even needling can be over done).

We know that  needling is the method of choice.  If you're having trouble
getting needles in, I'd recommend going to one needle.  Some folks use a
battery powered Dremel tool with a needle for those really hard ones.  If
you still can't get them in you can use something to soften the area so you
can get the needles in (pliers, steam, softeners, whatever).

I wouldn't recommend that you start needling the crown until
you've made sure there is some give to the shoulders.  Part of that harsh
tone is probably the clipped sound of inadequate sustain and shoulder work
is what will open up the sound.

There's no need to <start> deep on the crown.  Start really shallow and work
your way down.  Avoid over doing it--be sure to listen...A LOT....as you
work.  Work on <a> hammer and listen, don't do the same stuff to all the
hammers and then listen.

Try looking up the subject in the archives.

Find someone in your area who knows how to handle those hammers.  Hire
him/her to come have a look or demonstrate.

Remember voicing is an ongoing process.  I usually end up voicing (at least
a little bit) with almost every tuning.

Good luck!

Barbara Richmond, RPT



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Corte Swearingen" <cswearingen@daigger.com>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, July 19, 2004 8:25 AM
Subject: RE: on needling old upright hammers


> Hello,
>
> When I bought my Yamaha U1 about 6 years ago, I loved that fact that the
> tone was bright.  However, over the past few years, I've come to really
> appreciate a much more mellow piano tone.  My Yamaha U1 hammers are like
> little pieces on concrete.  In fact, I've been very limited in needling
> them the traditional way because the needles bend and break before they
get
> too far into the hammer.
>
> About 8 months ago, I posted to the list about my interest in really
> bringing down the tone and loudness of my U1.  After carefully considering
> all the feedback I received, I decided to use a 50/50 alcohol/water
> solution.  I really soaked the hammers - sides, crown, everything.  Once
> everything dried (about 24 hours), I was surprised at how subdued the tone
> was.  In fact, I got a little scared as I thought I might have overdone
it.
> The piano sounded muffled and I couldn't get any power out of it.  But,
> after about three months of playing, it slowly came back up and now, the
> tone is again pretty harsh and bright.  About a month ago, I again applied
> a 50/50 alcohol/water solution but this time just a little on the
> shoulders.  After it dried, there was almost no noticeable difference.
I'm
> still wanting to bring down the bright tone and loudness but now I'm
> thinking (after reading these posts), that a little needling in the crown
> area might be the trick (although all voicing seems very temporary).
>
> For hammers that are extremely hard (i.e., Asian piano hammers), is it
safe
> to take a 3-needle voicing tool and just really needle the crown to about
a
> 3/16" depth?  What do seasoned voicers think about this?  I can't imagine
> that softening the crown to a depth of 3/16" will do any harm.  All the
> felt below 3/16" will still be hard and compacted.  I know this is not
> normally recommended but, if the hammer is very hard, is it a viable
> option?
>
> In my case, not only do I want to mellow the tone, but I also want to
> decrease the loudness.  Maybe the only real option to replace the hammers.
>
> Thanks in advance for your advice.
>
> Corte Swearingen
> Chicago
>
>