Eric Schandall on Lacquer Voicing

[Nichols]

At 04:39 PM 10/19/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>At 01:34 PM 10/19/05, you wrote:
>>Hi Ric,
>>
>>Interesting.  I friend of mine, who shall remain anonymous, told me that the
>>un-lacquered type hammers (over here) won't do for orchestral pianos.
>
>Why is that?

         Depends a little on the hall and the stage, but basically it's a 
"power" thing. "Power", though, isn't the real problem. It's "punch".

>>His
>>university had a well known person hang a set of well known hammers and it
>>was of everyone's opinion (who heard the pianos), that the piano without the
>>NY Steinway hammers just didn't cut it with an orchestra.
>
>This HAD to have been a STEINWAY technician! :-) Makes me wonder how the 
>hammers
>with the Wurzen felt might have sounded!

         It would have sounded great, but... again, when you are talking 
about "piano vs. orchestra", especially on the wrong stage, or when the 
piano is crowded off the amphitheater portion of the stage and onto a shell 
cover, or something, it will need more punch. Enough, in many cases, to be 
less-than-pleasant for solo or chamber work. The Wurzens accept lacquer or 
plastic very nicely, and are comfortable afterwards.
         It's really nice when you can achieve a balanced voice than 
doesn't need a quantum change to accommodate a particular program. On the 
other hand, it's easier (faster and more stable) to reduce than to add, 
especially with lacquer or plastic.
         Coincidentally I heard this week from a New Yorker that the 
Hamburg Steinway needed a "full-time" technician. Just one side of the pond 
making a little jab at the other.


>Avery

Later,
Guy

>>Well, I wasn't
>>there, but I can imagine that other factors could make a difference, too
>>(besides hammers).
>>
>>Just reporting what I was told.  :-)
>>
>>Barbara Richmond, RPT
>>
>>
>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Ric Brekne" <ricbrek@broadpark.no>
>>To: "pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
>>Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2005 12:33 PM
>>Subject: Eric Schandall on Lacquer Voicing
>>
>>
>>>Hi folks
>>>
>>>Some of you know that Eric Schandall was one of the instructors at the
>>>Nordic PTA convention in Stockholm last weekend.  His first class was all
>>>about how to voice the New York Steinway and included quite abit about the
>>>differences in basic approaches between needled hammers and hammers that
>>>use lacquer.
>>>
>>>First and foremost, I have to say I was very gratified to hear that
>>>Steinway NY does NOT use lacquer because it is supposed to be an easier
>>>approach. Upon asking him directly about the ease question, he answered
>>>that all in all its about the same level of difficulty, tho he was not
>>>referring to the physical work required in traditional first voicing with
>>>needles mind you.  The reason given for Steinways choice in using the
>>>lacquer approach is because they feel they do not get the sound they want
>>>with needled hammers.  I.e. Eric, and Steinway NY are of the opinion that
>>>lacquered hammers yield a different sound then needled hammers.  He cited
>>>more power as one alleged asset, voicing stability as another, and a
>>>larger dynamic range due to the very localized affect of needle placement
>>>when voicing for soft shift play.  Course he didnt really see any
>>>advantages to the Hamburg approach.. but then he was from NY :)  He DID
>>>state that it was his believe that prior to WWII all hammers all over the
>>>world needed lacquer.
>>>
>>>FWIW
>>>
>>>Cheers
>>>RicB
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>>
>>
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>
>
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