Felt quality

[Erwinspiano at aol.com]

JD
   Don't shoot me yet or flambeau me.  I may be the only  lacquer maverick in 
the herd, but all the friendly & accurately  assessed cynicism aside, I find 
a properly made Softer hammer  with quality felt will illicit a tone character 
I find very attractive when  treated lightly with a low dosage of lacquer. To 
my ear, this sound is  difficult to replicate with hammers without it.The 
lacquer in this specific case  doesn't render it un-needle-eable  un- less over 
done.
  I admit lacquer- ing hammers is the most abused voicing  technique.(Well 
maybe not) but it really may not have to do with a  hammer that's properly made. 
 The hammers themselves are  made to be lacquered such as Steinway hammers 
used to be.   No there pre-lacquered before shipping & I can't use these any 
more.
  A Softer hammer will illicit a very strong & gloriouos  fundamental from 
the git go,which is the very thing harder hammers fail  miserable to produce & 
often,even after considerable needling.   And since sustain is so vital to the 
musical experience, not noise as Ron  points out, its a curious as to how 
we've been brainwashed to think hammers  made like concrete that need  hours & 
hours of needling are the  answer either. If a hammer needs to be lacquered 
beyond the point where needles  are effective then it may be improperly made or 
simply the wrong hammer choice  for that particular sound board system. The list 
is replete with this insightful  discussion just this year
  I think you guys that can custom order from Renner in Europe can  mostly 
avoid this as Andre & Ric have & here we have the beautiful  variations of the 
Ronsen Product utilizing three or four different  felts.
  Just my perspective
  Dale

> I  read a lot on this list about doping hammers.  Why should it be 
>  necessary to dope any hammer that is properly made from the proper felt  
> in the first place?
> 
> JD

Lots of reasons,  mostly having to do with soundboard 
efficiency or lack thereof, followed  by hammer quality, and 
generations of consumer training to the effect that  any piano 
not producing noise well beyond the ever rising pain threshold  
needs harder hammers.
Ron N


 



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