[pianotech] Yamaha Hammer Suggestion

[David Love]

Some need more than others. Careful attention to hammer matching can obviate
the need for extensive voicing.  The idea of expecting that every hammer
needs shoulder needling to open things up, lacquering to build things up, or
anything else outside of fine tuning tends to steer us in the wrong
direction, in my view--the direction of one hammer fits all.  My goal is to
pick the hammer that gets one as close to the tonal goal as possible without
extensive manipulation.  And that choice will vary from piano to piano,
belly to belly, scale to scale.  It should take into consideration hammer
weight, density, shape, and what I like to think of as the dynamic
gradient--the changing density at various depths from the outer layers down
to the core.  Of course, I know some people disagree with that notion.  But
in my view it makes for lots of extra work and an outcome that is less
pleasing and often less stable.       

David Love
www.davidlovepianos.com


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of David Ilvedson
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 9:13 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Yamaha Hammer Suggestion

No offense to anyone in particular...OK?...but this idea that any piano
hammer can be hung and sounds great right off the bat...well, I've got a
problem with that.   I think we need a little more education in voicing...

David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA  94044