Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum Enough Felt To Reshape These Hammers?

My first post to pianoworld in over a year. Hopefully this subject is in the right place.

I've had this Vose & Sons Upright for about 6 years now.

I would like to make the tone more even, because there are some keys that have a loud impact sound when they strike the string.

What i was curious about was if anyone on here thought there was enough felt on the hammers to make them more round in shape.

Below are a few pictures of some hammers in the Three sections.

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc192/Skyman2002/IMG_0367.jpg
E-4

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc192/Skyman2002/IMG_0368.jpg
A-2

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc192/Skyman2002/IMG_0369.jpg
E-5

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc192/Skyman2002/IMG_0369.jpg
D-2

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc192/Skyman2002/IMG_0370.jpg
B-6

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc192/Skyman2002/IMG_0371.jpg
B-7

http://soundcloud.com/cory-coolman/e-5-d-5-click

http://soundcloud.com/cory-coolman/blues-piano-improv

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Your piano has been collecting dust for about 100 years, and it looks like it has had little or no care at least since you have owned it. There are tons of problems that can result from age and neglect. You could call someone in and evaluate it for you, or you could skip to the chase and get something newer.

IMO there is enough felt left on these hammers to be reshaped.

But as BDB says, there can be a lot of problems with this piano other than the shape of hammer heads.

The click sounds like a loose hammer head. Maybe loose hammer pinning.

They look pretty worn out, but usually there is still some improvement with judicious shaping and fitting to the strings.

It did have a full regulation four years ago, but the gentleman who did the regulation felt that doing the hammers where out of his comfort zone.

The last tuning it had ( May 2 2012 ) he took the action out to his truck and blew out the dust with compressed air.

I might have to find someone who specializes in voicing, and knows what they are doing.

Thank you for the responses guys!

"Enough felt" is not the only thing that is wrong with old hammers. The felt loses many of the properties that make it desirable for covering a piano with age.