[pianotech] Hammers - was Brighter Yamaha

[Dale Erwin]

Hi Joe
 I for one appreciate your words of praise for Ray enormously. Great product, personal service. We all know that to be true.


  The other hand I think the point Bills was making was the pendulum  has swung dramatically in favor of hammers that are more like non-linear felt springs they need to be instead of the petrified felt objects that have dominated the tonal landscape for the last 30 years. 


   Hey Joe, FWIW...Yamaha and Kawai both respond well to Ronsen hammers. But as David L. is fond of saying and he's right... it depends on the belly stiffness. 
   For Ronsen hammers the rule of thumb is that the stiffest hammer felt he uses is the Wurzen AA felt. So if you need to match a stiffer board go with these. A bit of light needling may need to be done. I installed these on a C-7 and a G-2 and I had to do a fair bit of easy needle work to get them down in the tenor /first capo. After that very little follow up. My C-7 client thanked me 3 times the first month for transforming the piano.
  
As an unbiased opinion: the Renner Blue points (Weickert felt) can also be a good choice Joe. Theses are quite different from the old Blues. They will need needle work but so far in my limited use of these...its a different ball game.  Way less needling
The Ronsen Weickert felt hammer is my favorite for many pianos and for my ear produce loads of tone color easily. Last month I installed a set of these in a A-3 Steinway some else had installed a new board in. Instant music and zero voicing. Client loves it. So easy and a beautiful result. A real money maker too


  The great thing as many of you guys and gals have mentioned is;.... there are many hammer choices these days,
  But..... only one guy making a hammer made in the old fashioned way, and that guys is in New York


 Quite a storm going on here today. Better check for leaks in the roof
Dale
  


Dale Erwin R.P.T.
Erwin's Piano Restoration Inc.
 Mason & Hamlin/Steinway/U.S. pianos
www.Erwinspiano.com
Phone: 209-577-8397

 
  





-----Original Message-----
From: Joseph Garrett <joegarrett at earthlink.net>
To: William Monroe <bill at a440piano.net>; pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Sat, Dec 1, 2012 9:42 pm
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Hammers - was Brighter Yamaha



I've heard that stuff, from lots of techs. Then...I went out and got the hammers they were lauding. Every time it was a royal pain in the tush. If you have to "pre-voice" a set of hammers, then, in my book, they're crap! Simple as that. I have been useing Ronsen for almost 40 years and have little problem. When there was a problem, Ray made it good. It doesn't get any bette than that. I will concede that there are certain situations that dictate a different hammer, as in, let's say Yamaha or Kawai. In that case, I know I'm dealing with a different critter and I'll get the appropriate hammer. Those that you've mentioned are not on my list, ...(yet). Perhaps, as I'll try to keep an open mind. It is difficult when I've had such good results from a company that realizes our needs and steps up to give us that. You use what works for you and the "piano tone" in your mind or the customer's mind. I'll do the same.
Best,
Joe
 


 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: William Monroe 
To: joegarrett at earthlink.net;pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: 12/1/2012 5:04:42 PM 
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Hammers - was Brighter Yamaha


Only one?  While it may be true that a number of piano manufacturers and some hammer makers continue to produce garbage, the pendulum is clearly (in my view) swinging in the favor of well-made hammers.  


Ronson is one, and I like them.  But instantly I think of some of the offerings from Abel, Renner Blue Points, WN&G's "Selects," or "Naturals."  And even our old friend S&S is changing their hammer making to produce something more along these lines.  True, S&S isn't quite there yet, but I find that when I need to use their hammers (the choice isn't always mine to make) they are very usable with not a great deal of "heroics."


William R. Monroe









On Fri, Nov 30, 2012 at 10:06 PM, Joseph Garrett <joegarrett at earthlink.net> wrote:

Del said:
"I?d be happy if hammer makers would simply stick within the known bounds
of what wool will tolerate. It?s been known for some time now that pressing
wool felt with lots of moisture and too much pressure and too much heat
produces piano hammer shaped objects that are incapable of producing the
basic musical nuances we expect from our pianos yet some hammermakers?and
pianomakers?continue pressing wool felt with too much moisture and too much
pressure and too much heat forcing the stuff into something having the
shape?but not the soul?of piano hammers. And piano technicians continue
buying these atrocities and they continue recommending the pianos fitted
with them to their overly trusting customers. And then, when the pianos
don?t sound ?right,? they have to drag out every heroic voicing technique
in the book in a desperat e attempt to make those piano hammer shaped
whatever-they-are musically less bad. Bah! Humbug!"

ddf, (Del),
Since you taught me I will have to say: YEAH!!!!!! What you said TIMES TEN!
Why is it that we, essentially only have one hammer manucturer that
understands that? The rest?, continue to make these BEHEMOTHS that just
don't work! Thank God for Ray/ Ronse Piano Hammers INC!@!!!
Thanks
Joe


Joe Garrett, R.P.T.
Captain of the Tool Police
Squares R I







-- 
William R. Monroe, RPT
A440-William R. Monroe Piano Services, Inc.
314 E. Church St.
Belleville, WI 53508
608-215-3250
www.a440piano.net


 
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