?? Voice ??

[Joe And Penny Goss]

Not I Corte,
While it does work some it can be very hard to use on hard hammers with the
three needles. Taking out two helps a lot to get the needle in, but then is
twice as slow to get the wanted result.
Joe Goss
imatunr@srvinet.com
www.mothergoosetools.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Corte Swearingen" <cswearingen@daigger.com>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, May 07, 2004 6:57 AM
Subject: Re: ?? Voice ??


>
>
>
>
>
> Hello,
>
> Since we are talking about voicing techniques, has anybody had much
success
> with that little upright voicing tool that Yamaha sells?  This thing is
> essentially a small L-shaped bracket that hold three needles.  Considering
> the size of this tool, it implies that you can voice an upright piano
> without removing the action.  I've tried using the tool and I find it way
> too hard to slowly push the needles into the Yamaha hammers.  I've given
up
> trying to use it but I have to assume it works well for some people.
>
> Corte Swearingen
> Chicago
>
>
>
>                       "Barbara
>                       Richmond"                To:       "Pianotech"
<pianotech@ptg.org>
>                       <piano57@flash.ne        cc:
>                       t>                       Subject:  Re: ??  Voice  ??
>                       Sent by:
>                       pianotech-bounces
>                       @ptg.org
>
>
>                       05/07/2004 07:44
>                       AM
>                       Please respond to
>                       Pianotech
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Richard Brekne" <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no>
> To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Friday, May 07, 2004 4:48 AM
> Subject: Re: ?? Voice ??
>
>
> > Barbara Richmond wrote:
> >
> > >Joe,
> > >
> > >Ok, I'll be brave.  Pliers (vise grips) were sort of popular some years
> > >back, but it seems they are politically incorrect these days.  I
learned
> to
> > >use them to soften up really hard shoulders (not lacquered ones!) to
> make
> > >needling possible where sustain was lacking.  Using vise-grips would
> cause
> > >cupping on the shoulder and then next, one would needle enough to
remove
> the
> > >cupping.  Worked great to open up the sound on certain pianos.  I won't
> > >mention any names, but I learned it from factory tech reps--so somebody
> > >thought it was OK back then.  ;-)   Aw heck, things go in and out of
> > >fashion, except perhaps for orange shag carpeting and flocked
wallpaper.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > I think we are talking about two different levels of voicing here.  You
> > have your <<standard do what it takes to make a so and so piano
> > useable>> type of job... and you have your <<critical concert top level
> > for the most discerning of pianists>>  type of situation.
>
> Well, you may be talking about two different levels of voicing here, I was
> just talking about Joe's question about the use of pliers (and in this
> case,
> using pliers reduced the incidence of broken needles).  Of course
different
> methods are used in different situations--that's why we have so many
tricks
> in our bags.  Heck, I've only been in the business since 1982 [so I'm just
> a
> babe :-) ], but my experience has proven to me that there isn't a
> one-method-that-fits-all.  In my world a great deal of voicing gets done
> besides that on the concert stage or recording studio.
>
>
> > For the later we are not just talking about getting them soft enough...
> > or insuring a bit of sustain.   It should be entirely unnecessary to
> > have to resort to any draconian measures for these kinds of jobs.
> > Whether you are using soft hammers that require hardener to achieve any
> > semblance of tone, or tensioned hammers that need needling to bring out
> > the tone.
>
> Aw, Ric, I hate it when we enter the realm of "shoulds."  ;-)  It would be
> wonderful if the piano world was perfect and we all had great hammers to
> work with.  I was just talking about what worked for certain pianos here
in
> reality.  And actually, after these pianos were "opened" up they WERE
great
> pianos to work with (and play!).  In fact, it was precisely this method,
or
> I should say, its results that drew attention to my work and ability to
> voice so that a university called me up and offered me a position.  Yes,
> just like that!  I'll admit, some of these pianos were only in studios at
a
> university, not a concert hall, but very capable pianists were playing on
> them.
>
> I guess I could shock you further to tell you about working on a Steinway
B
> in at a faculty member's home.  Of all the Bs I worked on, it had the most
> beautiful sound [my opinion--and I've got a good one  ;-) ].
> Unfortunately,
> the owner, one of my pickiest clients, suffered from tinnitus and she
> wanted
> me to take it down a notch.  I scheduled a whole morning to do the work.
> Got there, loaded the needles into the voicing tool and started
> stabbing.........nothing........dang!  After 15 minutes of notta, I got
out
> some hammer softening solution.  2 or 3 drops on each hammer and five
> minutes later the piano was done.  She was ecstatic, said the piano was
> perfect. My disappointment was that I finished so fast--I was planning on
> making a bunch of money that morning!
>
> No, I'm not suggesting that folks go out and drench Steinway B hammers (or
> any other hammer for that matter) with hammer softening solution.  A
little
> dab worked in this case.  Sandpaper and needles are always first, but the
> trick is to know when to use the tricks!
>
> My passion for "all things voicing" got a jump start very early in my
> career.  One of the very first pianos I went out to tune was a Baldwin
> Acrosonic.  The owner asked me if I could make it less bright.  And though
> I
> had a vague idea, I really didn't know what do.  After that experience, I
> promised myself that I was NEVER going to be in that situation again.
>
> Cheers to you!
>
> Barbara (you said you'd like that voiced?) Richmond
>
>
>
>
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