KS 32: New Hammers for the Mason

KS 32: New Hammers for the Mason

This week, I will share a little real-time shift in my hammer prep for hammer hanging. I still measure the distance from strike to hammer center at ends of sections and translate that to a cutoff line on the tails. When cut, the overall hammer length will then include 1 inch tails throughout the scale and custom bore lengths. Apart from reducing compromise in the regulation, this makes for one boring setup for all hammers, modified only by angle of bore. And the bore entry is set by...
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Prepare Well and Pay Attention

I have what might seem an odd first step suggestion for grand regulating: Pre-lift wire. This is a strategy to end up with no underlifted strings.

When a piano is newly strung, the steel wire, being stiff, takes rounded curves, not corners, as it passes bearing points. Each time the wire is pitch-raised it refreshes these curves a little, particularly at agraffes and Capo D’Astro bars. A conscientious technician will settle the wire and mate strings with hammers, a process well-known to us all. Touch hammer to unison strings, pluck the strings, and if any ring, lift the others with a stringing hook until all are equally muted.

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