I would really prefer that you not attempt to quote me, paraphrase or interpret my remarks as you generally oversimplify, misstate, distort, misrepresent or just flat get it wrong. It wastes my time and the list's for my having to clarify which, in this case, I won't bother to do. Read again, and more carefully, if you choose, but spare me any further comments. The issue I spoke about is when lacquer in a hammer is perceptible and when it isn't. The stability of lacquer I qualified it as my own experience. David Love davidlovepianos at comcast.net www.davidlovepianos.com -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Richard Brekne Sent: Monday, October 15, 2007 10:24 AM To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: Felt quality David. You yourself have mentioned several times that you could not quite get the same sound from Wurzens as Bacons on C.Walter instruments. These are hammers that are vastly more similar from the get go then hammers that need needling down vs hammers that require lacquer to build power. How then do you find it difficult to accept that there is a clear qualitative difference between a lacquered hammer and a non lacquered hammer regardless of how much you work either ? I have to agree with Steinway themselves, folks like Andre Oorebeck, John Patton, Eric Schandall, Jan Hoppner, and all the folks at 3 different acadamies I've attended. Lacquered hammers and non lacquered hammers will end up sounding different no matter what you do. In fact that is the real reason (tho perhaps not the origional) Steinway NY uses lacquer. Those boys tell me it is not easier... if anything a bit more time consuming. Interesting that you point to a lack of stability in lacquered hammers. Dale E. I believe takes the opposite tact here... as did the fellows who spoke on the matter this summer at Oberlin. Clearly this is a subject matter that there is no real quantitative study done on. Cheers RicB Yes and no. I think it's slightly more complicated. A Steinway hammer which is so soft that it requires a full immersion is different than a slightly soft hammer that may need reinforcement only on the non-string-contact part of the hammer. I'm not sure that it's that easy to tell the difference or that in the later case the sound is qualitatively different from a non-lacquered hammer--at least at the outset. Of course, a hammer which is softer to begin with will have a different sound than one that is harder to begin with (especially between molding and crown) but since the harder hammer is often needled down and the softer hammer requires some playing time to develop properly, the ultimate difference may be negligible and the lacquer, at least when applied to the shoulder area only, may not provide a substantial difference. At least that's my experience. Over time may be another story as the lacquer continues to harden and the shoulders lose some flexibility. That's my main complaint. Of course, when you do need to harden the hammer under or onto the strike point I believe that does change the character and even more so in terms of how the hammer ages. David Love davidlovepianos at comcast.net www.davidlovepianos.com JD / Dale And here you have the real reason for doping hammers. Its a matter of taste... purely subjective in nature and if done well will produce very nice results that are somewhat different in end resulting sound. There used to be a lot of folks trying to justify doping hammers by asserting that you could get the same sound as needled hammers. I am glad I dont hear this kind of thing anymore myself, because it really isnt true to begin with, and secondly... who should need such a justification to begin with ? Steinway NY states outright that they dont get the sound they want without using soft hammers built up with lacquer. Dale and I have had many a talk on this subject and tho we have different preferences... I'm know for a fact he gets a very nice sound out of his approach. In the end... regardless of the strong opinions any of us hold... piano voice and response is a very subjective thing that has nothing at all to do with what the instrument was designed to do... what level of loudness/harshness or softeness/mellowness is achieved. One persons noise is anothers heavenly harp. Cheers RicB
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