Steinway hammer voicing

[Andrew and Rebeca Anderson]

Ed,
"Bloom" is what I'm looking for.  I'd like more sustain than a 
precisely tuned brick.

If crown needling between the grooves doesn't get me any "bloom" are 
we talking replacement hammers, acetone wash or what?

Andrew
At 01:48 PM 9/29/2006, you wrote:
>
><< I've got voicing to do on a D this coming week.  There are a number
>of notes that are duds.  No bloom.  Short sustain.  Like they don't
>go anywhere.  No termination problems evident.  I'd use deep shoulder
>needling to open this up usually.
>
>Is there a different approach for lacquer hardened hammers? >>
>
>Yes,  if you are going to needle a Steinway factory installed hammer, you
>will need to go straight down through the crown, about 1/4 inch, at least,
>between the string grooves.  If this doesn't do what you want it to, 
>then try two
>needles, into the hammer right in the string groove, but make sure that there
>isn't just one string that is causing the zing.
>     It is always a mystery just how much lacquer there is in these hammers.
>   As far as "bloom" goes, there may or may not be any there.
>
>
>
>Ed Foote RPT
>http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
>www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html
>