[pianotech] Hammer Felt discussion

[David Love]

On one hand I see the issue as a conundrum for piano and hammer
manufacturers.  The choice is soft, in which case it may have to be
hardened, or harder.  Why not just right?  Difficult to know what that is.
We would all like them just right, but what is that?  If a hammer or piano
manufacturer wants to insure that hardeners aren't used on their hammers
(understandable as hardeners are anathema to many) then the only choice is
to target something somewhat harder than is needed to insure that the
voicing procedure only goes in one direction.  Trying to hit a target just
slightly above the lowest acceptable level is tricky and subjective.  So
many hammer makers play it "safe" and hit a target higher than that, and
higher than many people want or higher than many pianos need.   

 

In the case of harder hammers, however, the issue is less about the starting
density than it is about responsiveness of the hammer to needle voicing
procedures.  A hammer that maintains a good amount of tension in the felt
through the manufacturing process and is not too dense will respond to
needle voicing and can be manipulated adequately.  

 

But the greater issue is matching the hammer density to the scale and belly.
Soft hammers will not work on every piano just as harder hammers won't work
on every piano.  A basic understanding of how that matching needs to be done
will save a lot of grief that comes with trying to manipulate a hammer into
something that is wasn't designed to be.  

 

David Love

www.davidlovepianos.com

 

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Dale Erwin
Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2012 2:58 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: [pianotech] Hammer Felt discussion

 

 

Dear Ann,

 

      Thank you for your perspective.  You couldn't be closer to the truth.

They were perfect.  Don't you think that in an artistic sense, the demise of


global tone quality was the demise created with the loss of the soft hammer?

I think your call to arms is admirable.  You can be proud of that.

      

      Sincerely,  Brent Fischer

 

 

Something I can almost agree with you on. The soft or less hard hammer is
not lost. It lives on in  my work (and in that of many) and is still made at
Ronsen piano hammer in the Catskills just in case you missed that.

Dale


  

Yes, so is this the felt that Andrew Anderson is getting when he

orders " Euro voicing "  instead of  the " American "  with the Abel
Naturals?

 

Brent



No, not the same felt. I don't know what the Abel felt is and they tend to
keep those things a secret.  

 

Ronsen piano hammer co. and Renner usa/Renner Germany have exclusive
Weickert special felt distribution rights currently, as  Ray Negron , myself
& Rick Baldassin, worked on this project and contributed as colleagues
several years to the R & D for Jack Brand. Jack is the owner of the Wurzen
felt co. In Germany, formerly the J.D.Weickert co. 

 

 Jack is a felt master, wizard, guru and the world of piano techs. at large
don't have any idea how fortunate we are to have some one like him
developing fantastic products for us...yet. 

 The Weickert special felt has a distinctive marker in the bass end hammers.

 It is a solitary gray or black semi circle. This way,  no secrets, you know
what felt you're getting. 

 

    The Ronsen  Weickert and Renner blue point (Weickert felt) products are
in our opinion complimentary products.

 

 I suspect one of the felts Abel uses is the Wurzen AA felt, another Wurzen
product. This is also marked but, by two grayish circles.

 

The source of the  Abel  "Natural felt" is a closely gaurded secret.

 The Abels are great people and fierce competitors. IMO they are currently
running to catch up as well as keep their own market edge. 

 Its wonderful to have so many choices in hammers. I have been pounding the
drum about how horrible hard hammers are for 25 years now and finally
manufacturers are listening and producing what we want and what musicians
have been searching for.

Its a great time to be a piano tech.

 

Dale Erwin

Whistling a happy tune

 

 

 

 

 





 

 


 
  

 

 

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