Evidence of overlacquered hammers

[Horace Greeley]

Hi, David,

At 10:48 AM 9/30/2004, you wrote:
>The Hamburg and NY Steinways are two really different beasts.

Less so since 1995, but still, yes.

>    The Hamburg uses Renner hammers of some sort...right?

Yes.

>   The Hamburg goes for the same shape....?

Well, no, not exactly.

In general, with the Hamburg, and, remembering that these are pretty 
high-tension hammers (as over against their NY cousins) staying as close as 
possible to the shape from the mold is the best...with the understanding 
that all generalizations are bad...and, some of them really do "like" the 
NY shape...go figure.

With the New York, the "best" shape is still the one that was published 
around 1973 or so in the S&S service manual.

As André noted:

">There is another thing(ee) connected to this issue, and that is the shape 
of the hammer and the shape of the crown.  A Steinway needs a
 >real pointed, diamond like hammer. You put that same hammer on a 
Bechstein and you get an ugly monster...."

Remembering that the Hamburg hammer is "pointier" to begin with; and that 
what one is accomplishing in "shaping" the NY hammer is to achieve (within 
limits) the same shape.

YMMV.

Hope the fog in Pacifica hasn't been too bad!  I've rather been enjoying 
the break from the heat, myself.

Best.

Horace





>David Ilvedson.
>
>
>
>----- Original message ---------------------------------------->
>From: antares <antares@euronet.nl>
>To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>
>Received: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 18:36:19 +0200
>Subject: Re: Evidence of overlacquered hammers
>
>
> >On 30-sep-04, at 10:00, Richard Brekne wrote:
>
> >> All this said... I cant say I see any reason to subscribe to the idea
> >> that tensioned hammers will cause a soundboard to distort when
> >> laquered hammers wont... let alone hammers that have reasonable weight
> >> characteristics. A soundboard simply has to function as it is meant
> >> too with in reasonable parameters... if its so screwed up that a
> >> hammer needs to be so soft and light as to avoid driving it into some
> >> or another form of distortion, then it seems to me the soundboard
> >> should be fixed first.
>
> >There is another thing(ee) connected to this issue, and that is the
> >shape of the hammer and the shape of the crown.  A Steinway needs a
> >real pointed, diamond like hammer. You put that same hammer on a
> >Bechstein and you get an ugly monster.  It has to do with overtones.
> >Bechsteins are known for their brilliant treble and their weaker bass.
> >That's one of the reasons why in the Bechstein factory they start
> >needling up from the beginning. Actually, they have three voicings
> >there : a first voicing to release the tension just above the staple, a
> >second voicing, to make cushion, and a third voicing after da 'banging
> >machine'.
> >Steinways always sound dull without their particular shape.
>
>
>
> >>
> >> I dismiss hammers that need lacquer for entirely other reasons. I just
> >> dont like the way they sound.  But then thats the great thing about
> >> dissagreement eh ??? Leads to the very diversity seems to provide the
> >> right piano for just about everyone !
>
> >Richard, I have come to the definite conclusion that talking about this
> >issue (of lacquer versus tension) is a complete waste on both sides.
> >If somebody really likes the sound of a lacquered hammer, than so be
> >it.  I don't know what it is or why it is but this well never settle
> >down. I gave up on that a long time ago.
> >We might say that there are two schools of listening and there it ends.
> >>
> >André Oorebeek
>
> >_______________________________________________
> >pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>
>_______________________________________________
>pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives