reflections on a hammer

[Michael Gamble]

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Hello Andre
I'm lurking silently here in the UK
Michael G.(UK)
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: antares=20
  To: Pianotech=20
  Sent: Friday, June 03, 2005 8:27 PM
  Subject: reflections on a hammer



  On 3-jun-05, at 17:02, Joe Garrett wrote:


    Renner or Abel? Neither one!!! What you need/want are essentially =
Cold Pressed Hammers. I would suggest Ronsen. Ray does a very nice job =
of reproducing "ancient" style hammers.
    Regards,
    Joe Garrett, R.P.T.
    Captain, Tool Police
    Squares R I




  Joe, you live in the USA, far away from Europe. For Americans it is =
natural to buy their hammers in the USA, just as it is common sense for =
Europeans to buy their hammers in Europe.
  To get hammers to Europe from the USA is of course more expensive =
because of the shipping, but at the same time it is not really necessary =
because we have in Germany two major hammer makers, who also have their =
agents in the USA, whereas Ray Negron does not really export his hammers =
to Europe, as far as I know (is that correct Ray?).
  I write this actually in answer to Calin who lives in Rumania.

  Calin, I think there is a difference between Abel and Renner, but I do =
not really know the difference between them in how they make their =
hammers.=20
  Up till recently, Abel mainly used VFG felt, while Renner mainly used =
Wurzen felt.=20
  That has changed now.=20
  I have visited both hammer makers and both make excellent hammers.

  Renner I have visited a number of times and to Abel I went just one =
time.
  Both make many many hammers for all of the world, but about Renner I =
know that they have a fully automated hammer press which I think is =
better for making balanced hammers, because one can control the process =
of making hammers in a more efficient way.
  Furthermore, we buy our hammers straight from Renner because there is =
no restriction there, whereas Abel works only through an agent in =
Holland and that is the only place to get Abel hammers for Dutch =
technicians.
  A direct contact with the factory means also a more efficient way to =
exchange ideas about making special hammers. I know that both factories =
make excellent copies of any hammer, but the interference of an agent =
limits us in that very same process and we therefor buy our hammers from =
Renner only.
  The result is a magnificent range of hammers we love to work with =
every day.
  This also clearly shows that protectionism works against individual =
development.

  This is not really an account of my personal choice, because I already =
said that both companies make very good hammers, (proivided the felt is =
Wurzen felt ! ). The best thing to do would be to try out both factories =
and see which hammer set pleases you the most.
  Of course it would be very interesting to try Ronsen's hammers as =
well, maybe the cost of shipping is not that bad after all.

  It is not easy for Europeans to judge publicly between two excellent =
European hammer factories.
  Maybe that's the reason why only American technicians have reacted so =
far, and most Euroepean listers remain silent in their usual silent =
lurking mode?


  friendly greetings
  from
  Andr=E9 Oorebeek

  www.concertpianoservice.nl

  "Where music is no harm can be"



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