Pianotech

I am currently trying out samples of the Ronsen Bacon felt and Ronsen Weickert felt hammers on a Steinway O piano. For the Weickert felt hammers I do have prepping and voicing instructions from Wally Brooks, as well as the Dale Erwin/Ray Negron voicing protocols PDF from 2011.

But for the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers I have don't have any voicing notes or instructions, and my searches on PTG Pianotech and Journal articles have not provided much information about voicing these hammers.

If you have experience preparing and voicing the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers, I would be grateful if you can share it on this thread. 

Thank you!

------------------------------
Joe Burros
Cell: 646-410-7174
jbcello@gmail.com
www.fmi-newengland.com
------------------------------

I am currently trying out samples of the Ronsen Bacon felt and Ronsen Weickert felt hammers on a Steinway O piano. For the Weickert felt hammers I do have prepping and voicing instructions from Wally Brooks, as well as the Dale Erwin/Ray Negron voicing protocols PDF from 2011.

But for the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers I have don't have any voicing notes or instructions, and my searches on PTG Pianotech and Journal articles have not provided much information about voicing these hammers.

If you have experience preparing and voicing the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers, I would be grateful if you can share it on this thread. 

Thank you!

------------------------------
Joe Burros
Cell: 646-410-7174
jbcello@gmail.com
www.fmi-newengland.com
------------------------------

I am currently trying out samples of the Ronsen Bacon felt and Ronsen Weickert felt hammers on a Steinway O piano. For the Weickert felt hammers I do have prepping and voicing instructions from Wally Brooks, as well as the Dale Erwin/Ray Negron voicing protocols PDF from 2011.

But for the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers I have don't have any voicing notes or instructions, and my searches on PTG Pianotech and Journal articles have not provided much information about voicing these hammers.

If you have experience preparing and voicing the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers, I would be grateful if you can share it on this thread. 

Thank you!

------------------------------
Joe Burros
Cell: 646-410-7174
jbcello@gmail.com
www.fmi-newengland.com
------------------------------

Mr. Burros,

Much will depend on what kind of sound you're after. Mr. Love's advice is good if you want a more powerful sound. With that technique you'll want to use the same technique as you would on a NY Steinway hammer. I put a set of Ronsen Bacon felt on a 1930 Knabe to get a softer tone and used no hardeners. I just lightly filed and fitted them to the strings and used traditional shoulder voicing ( ala Brooks/Negron) to even them out and got a really nice result. Two years in they have brightened up a little but in a good way.

I am currently trying out samples of the Ronsen Bacon felt and Ronsen Weickert felt hammers on a Steinway O piano. For the Weickert felt hammers I do have prepping and voicing instructions from Wally Brooks, as well as the Dale Erwin/Ray Negron voicing protocols PDF from 2011.

But for the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers I have don't have any voicing notes or instructions, and my searches on PTG Pianotech and Journal articles have not provided much information about voicing these hammers.

If you have experience preparing and voicing the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers, I would be grateful if you can share it on this thread. 

Thank you!

------------------------------
Joe Burros
Cell: 646-410-7174
jbcello@gmail.com
www.fmi-newengland.com
------------------------------

Needing to make a lot of change means the wrong hammer for the piano in my opinion. With the right hammer, its like almost there already and chemicals are used to make small adjustments of balancing the registers, coloring the attack, fixing missing fortissimos and decay drop offs. Just coming over the top to the core seems rather bullish. Why fix a fortissimo problem by going through the attack and decay? I tip the action on its side and isolate the fortissimo first. Then i go back and listen to the attack and decay again.

I use sandarac for fortissimo, and a very diluted shellac for attack and a too open sustain, and needles on the shoulders for decay drop offs, only rarely a problem on Ronsens. BTW, diluted shellac has a sweet sound characteristic of all the other "hardeners i've tried.

chris

Mr. Burros,

Much will depend on what kind of sound you're after. Mr. Love's advice is good if you want a more powerful sound. With that technique you'll want to use the same technique as you would on a NY Steinway hammer. I put a set of Ronsen Bacon felt on a 1930 Knabe to get a softer tone and used no hardeners. I just lightly filed and fitted them to the strings and used traditional shoulder voicing ( ala Brooks/Negron) to even them out and got a really nice result. Two years in they have brightened up a little but in a good way.

I am currently trying out samples of the Ronsen Bacon felt and Ronsen Weickert felt hammers on a Steinway O piano. For the Weickert felt hammers I do have prepping and voicing instructions from Wally Brooks, as well as the Dale Erwin/Ray Negron voicing protocols PDF from 2011.

But for the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers I have don't have any voicing notes or instructions, and my searches on PTG Pianotech and Journal articles have not provided much information about voicing these hammers.

If you have experience preparing and voicing the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers, I would be grateful if you can share it on this thread. 

Thank you!

------------------------------
Joe Burros
Cell: 646-410-7174
jbcello@gmail.com
www.fmi-newengland.com
------------------------------

Needing to make a lot of change means the wrong hammer for the piano in my opinion. With the right hammer, its like almost there already and chemicals are used to make small adjustments of balancing the registers, coloring the attack, fixing missing fortissimos and decay drop offs. Just coming over the top to the core seems rather bullish. Why fix a fortissimo problem by going through the attack and decay? I tip the action on its side and isolate the fortissimo first. Then i go back and listen to the attack and decay again.

I use sandarac for fortissimo, and a very diluted shellac for attack and a too open sustain, and needles on the shoulders for decay drop offs, only rarely a problem on Ronsens. BTW, diluted shellac has a sweet sound characteristic of all the other "hardeners i've tried.

chris

Mr. Burros,

Much will depend on what kind of sound you're after. Mr. Love's advice is good if you want a more powerful sound. With that technique you'll want to use the same technique as you would on a NY Steinway hammer. I put a set of Ronsen Bacon felt on a 1930 Knabe to get a softer tone and used no hardeners. I just lightly filed and fitted them to the strings and used traditional shoulder voicing ( ala Brooks/Negron) to even them out and got a really nice result. Two years in they have brightened up a little but in a good way.

I am currently trying out samples of the Ronsen Bacon felt and Ronsen Weickert felt hammers on a Steinway O piano. For the Weickert felt hammers I do have prepping and voicing instructions from Wally Brooks, as well as the Dale Erwin/Ray Negron voicing protocols PDF from 2011.

But for the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers I have don't have any voicing notes or instructions, and my searches on PTG Pianotech and Journal articles have not provided much information about voicing these hammers.

If you have experience preparing and voicing the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers, I would be grateful if you can share it on this thread. 

Thank you!

------------------------------
Joe Burros
Cell: 646-410-7174
jbcello@gmail.com
www.fmi-newengland.com
------------------------------

Chris,  it would be good, though it appears to be a challenge, if you could make your comments without editorializing on what you think is "bullish" on my part.  I know that's difficult for you whatever you meant by it but knock it off. I'm happy to expand on my own procedure if you're interested in it, which I doubt, though it's something I've written about before. 

Everyone,  keep in mind here that he's asking for how to prepare sample hammers not the final set. A bacon felt Ronson hammer needs hardening 95% of the time.  In order to determine what the hammer potential is in a sample, it's necessary to prep it in such a way that it will mimic what is likely to be required in the piano. The product that I use is quite soft setting. A 25-30% solution is really not that strong with that particular product. Of course, if you're using a very inflexible substance like sanding sealer, that would be very strong and I wouldn't recommend it. In fact I don't recommend using that product at all because if it's lack of flexibility.

If you're unsure as to how bacon felt responds to stiffening, then you might consider carrying two samples of that hammer; one prepared, one unprepared. If it turns out that hardening the hammer will be appropriate, it allows you then to do that before you install the set back into the piano. That obviates the need for hardening on site, waiting for it to dry before you can really voice the  piano, not to mention introducing toxic fumes to the customer's home where sometimes that can be something unwanted.  

Needing to make a lot of change means the wrong hammer for the piano in my opinion. With the right hammer, its like almost there already and chemicals are used to make small adjustments of balancing the registers, coloring the attack, fixing missing fortissimos and decay drop offs. Just coming over the top to the core seems rather bullish. Why fix a fortissimo problem by going through the attack and decay? I tip the action on its side and isolate the fortissimo first. Then i go back and listen to the attack and decay again.

I use sandarac for fortissimo, and a very diluted shellac for attack and a too open sustain, and needles on the shoulders for decay drop offs, only rarely a problem on Ronsens. BTW, diluted shellac has a sweet sound characteristic of all the other "hardeners i've tried.

chris

Mr. Burros,

Much will depend on what kind of sound you're after. Mr. Love's advice is good if you want a more powerful sound. With that technique you'll want to use the same technique as you would on a NY Steinway hammer. I put a set of Ronsen Bacon felt on a 1930 Knabe to get a softer tone and used no hardeners. I just lightly filed and fitted them to the strings and used traditional shoulder voicing ( ala Brooks/Negron) to even them out and got a really nice result. Two years in they have brightened up a little but in a good way.

I am currently trying out samples of the Ronsen Bacon felt and Ronsen Weickert felt hammers on a Steinway O piano. For the Weickert felt hammers I do have prepping and voicing instructions from Wally Brooks, as well as the Dale Erwin/Ray Negron voicing protocols PDF from 2011.

But for the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers I have don't have any voicing notes or instructions, and my searches on PTG Pianotech and Journal articles have not provided much information about voicing these hammers.

If you have experience preparing and voicing the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers, I would be grateful if you can share it on this thread. 

Thank you!

------------------------------
Joe Burros
Cell: 646-410-7174
jbcello@gmail.com
www.fmi-newengland.com
------------------------------

Chris,  it would be good, though it appears to be a challenge, if you could make your comments without editorializing on what you think is "bullish" on my part.  I know that's difficult for you whatever you meant by it but knock it off. I'm happy to expand on my own procedure if you're interested in it, which I doubt, though it's something I've written about before. 

Everyone,  keep in mind here that he's asking for how to prepare sample hammers not the final set. A bacon felt Ronson hammer needs hardening 95% of the time.  In order to determine what the hammer potential is in a sample, it's necessary to prep it in such a way that it will mimic what is likely to be required in the piano. The product that I use is quite soft setting. A 25-30% solution is really not that strong with that particular product. Of course, if you're using a very inflexible substance like sanding sealer, that would be very strong and I wouldn't recommend it. In fact I don't recommend using that product at all because if it's lack of flexibility.

If you're unsure as to how bacon felt responds to stiffening, then you might consider carrying two samples of that hammer; one prepared, one unprepared. If it turns out that hardening the hammer will be appropriate, it allows you then to do that before you install the set back into the piano. That obviates the need for hardening on site, waiting for it to dry before you can really voice the  piano, not to mention introducing toxic fumes to the customer's home where sometimes that can be something unwanted.  

Needing to make a lot of change means the wrong hammer for the piano in my opinion. With the right hammer, its like almost there already and chemicals are used to make small adjustments of balancing the registers, coloring the attack, fixing missing fortissimos and decay drop offs. Just coming over the top to the core seems rather bullish. Why fix a fortissimo problem by going through the attack and decay? I tip the action on its side and isolate the fortissimo first. Then i go back and listen to the attack and decay again.

I use sandarac for fortissimo, and a very diluted shellac for attack and a too open sustain, and needles on the shoulders for decay drop offs, only rarely a problem on Ronsens. BTW, diluted shellac has a sweet sound characteristic of all the other "hardeners i've tried.

chris

Mr. Burros,

Much will depend on what kind of sound you're after. Mr. Love's advice is good if you want a more powerful sound. With that technique you'll want to use the same technique as you would on a NY Steinway hammer. I put a set of Ronsen Bacon felt on a 1930 Knabe to get a softer tone and used no hardeners. I just lightly filed and fitted them to the strings and used traditional shoulder voicing ( ala Brooks/Negron) to even them out and got a really nice result. Two years in they have brightened up a little but in a good way.

I am currently trying out samples of the Ronsen Bacon felt and Ronsen Weickert felt hammers on a Steinway O piano. For the Weickert felt hammers I do have prepping and voicing instructions from Wally Brooks, as well as the Dale Erwin/Ray Negron voicing protocols PDF from 2011.

But for the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers I have don't have any voicing notes or instructions, and my searches on PTG Pianotech and Journal articles have not provided much information about voicing these hammers.

If you have experience preparing and voicing the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers, I would be grateful if you can share it on this thread. 

Thank you!

------------------------------
Joe Burros
Cell: 646-410-7174
jbcello@gmail.com
www.fmi-newengland.com
------------------------------

Hi David, Thanks for your suggestions. I do have notes from a 2008 discussion thread, where you discuss how you lacquer the Bacon hammers. Here is what you wrote,

 "I'm using one 9:1 solution through the set, maybe two applications above C6 and that is plenty to bring out the tone quality tone.  That's with MacLac High Solids G-23 clear gloss lacquer (solids content do vary between lacquers). 10 grams of lacquer to 90 grams of acetone in this case."

You wrote these comments a long time ago. If you are so inclined to expand on your current procedure that would be extremely helpful in getting the best tone and performance out of these hammers. Thank you!

------------------------------
Joe Burros
Cell: 646-410-7174
jbcello@gmail.com
www.fmi-newengland.com

Original Message:
Sent: 08-16-2025 12:00
From: David Love
Subject: What are your techniques to prepare and voice Ronsen Bacon Felt Hammers?

Chris,  it would be good, though it appears to be a challenge, if you could make your comments without editorializing on what you think is "bullish" on my part.  I know that's difficult for you whatever you meant by it but knock it off. I'm happy to expand on my own procedure if you're interested in it, which I doubt, though it's something I've written about before. 

Everyone,  keep in mind here that he's asking for how to prepare sample hammers not the final set. A bacon felt Ronson hammer needs hardening 95% of the time.  In order to determine what the hammer potential is in a sample, it's necessary to prep it in such a way that it will mimic what is likely to be required in the piano. The product that I use is quite soft setting. A 25-30% solution is really not that strong with that particular product. Of course, if you're using a very inflexible substance like sanding sealer, that would be very strong and I wouldn't recommend it. In fact I don't recommend using that product at all because if it's lack of flexibility.

If you're unsure as to how bacon felt responds to stiffening, then you might consider carrying two samples of that hammer; one prepared, one unprepared. If it turns out that hardening the hammer will be appropriate, it allows you then to do that before you install the set back into the piano. That obviates the need for hardening on site, waiting for it to dry before you can really voice the  piano, not to mention introducing toxic fumes to the customer's home where sometimes that can be something unwanted.  

------------------------------
David Love RPT
www.davidlovepianos.com
davidlovepianos@comcast.net
415 407 8320

Original Message:
Sent: 08-16-2025 10:33
From: Chris Chernobieff
Subject: What are your techniques to prepare and voice Ronsen Bacon Felt Hammers?

Needing to make a lot of change means the wrong hammer for the piano in my opinion. With the right hammer, its like almost there already and chemicals are used to make small adjustments of balancing the registers, coloring the attack, fixing missing fortissimos and decay drop offs. Just coming over the top to the core seems rather bullish. Why fix a fortissimo problem by going through the attack and decay? I tip the action on its side and isolate the fortissimo first. Then i go back and listen to the attack and decay again.

I use sandarac for fortissimo, and a very diluted shellac for attack and a too open sustain, and needles on the shoulders for decay drop offs, only rarely a problem on Ronsens. BTW, diluted shellac has a sweet sound characteristic of all the other "hardeners i've tried.

chris

------------------------------
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Engineered Hygroscopic Soundboards. The strongest and lightest boards made today for unmatched acoustic projection, richness and warmth.

865-986-7720 (text only please)

Original Message:
Sent: 08-16-2025 09:00
From: Karl Roeder
Subject: What are your techniques to prepare and voice Ronsen Bacon Felt Hammers?

Mr. Burros,

Much will depend on what kind of sound you're after. Mr. Love's advice is good if you want a more powerful sound. With that technique you'll want to use the same technique as you would on a NY Steinway hammer. I put a set of Ronsen Bacon felt on a 1930 Knabe to get a softer tone and used no hardeners. I just lightly filed and fitted them to the strings and used traditional shoulder voicing ( ala Brooks/Negron) to even them out and got a really nice result. Two years in they have brightened up a little but in a good way.

------------------------------
Karl Roeder
Pompano Beach FL

Original Message:
Sent: 08-15-2025 11:43
From: Joseph Burros
Subject: What are your techniques to prepare and voice Ronsen Bacon Felt Hammers?

I am currently trying out samples of the Ronsen Bacon felt and Ronsen Weickert felt hammers on a Steinway O piano. For the Weickert felt hammers I do have prepping and voicing instructions from Wally Brooks, as well as the Dale Erwin/Ray Negron voicing protocols PDF from 2011.

But for the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers I have don't have any voicing notes or instructions, and my searches on PTG Pianotech and Journal articles have not provided much information about voicing these hammers.

If you have experience preparing and voicing the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers, I would be grateful if you can share it on this thread. 

Thank you!

------------------------------
Joe Burros
Cell: 646-410-7174
jbcello@gmail.com
www.fmi-newengland.com
------------------------------

Chris,  it would be good, though it appears to be a challenge, if you could make your comments without editorializing on what you think is "bullish" on my part.  I know that's difficult for you whatever you meant by it but knock it off. I'm happy to expand on my own procedure if you're interested in it, which I doubt, though it's something I've written about before. 

Everyone,  keep in mind here that he's asking for how to prepare sample hammers not the final set. A bacon felt Ronson hammer needs hardening 95% of the time.  In order to determine what the hammer potential is in a sample, it's necessary to prep it in such a way that it will mimic what is likely to be required in the piano. The product that I use is quite soft setting. A 25-30% solution is really not that strong with that particular product. Of course, if you're using a very inflexible substance like sanding sealer, that would be very strong and I wouldn't recommend it. In fact I don't recommend using that product at all because if it's lack of flexibility.

If you're unsure as to how bacon felt responds to stiffening, then you might consider carrying two samples of that hammer; one prepared, one unprepared. If it turns out that hardening the hammer will be appropriate, it allows you then to do that before you install the set back into the piano. That obviates the need for hardening on site, waiting for it to dry before you can really voice the  piano, not to mention introducing toxic fumes to the customer's home where sometimes that can be something unwanted.  

Needing to make a lot of change means the wrong hammer for the piano in my opinion. With the right hammer, its like almost there already and chemicals are used to make small adjustments of balancing the registers, coloring the attack, fixing missing fortissimos and decay drop offs. Just coming over the top to the core seems rather bullish. Why fix a fortissimo problem by going through the attack and decay? I tip the action on its side and isolate the fortissimo first. Then i go back and listen to the attack and decay again.

I use sandarac for fortissimo, and a very diluted shellac for attack and a too open sustain, and needles on the shoulders for decay drop offs, only rarely a problem on Ronsens. BTW, diluted shellac has a sweet sound characteristic of all the other "hardeners i've tried.

chris

Mr. Burros,

Much will depend on what kind of sound you're after. Mr. Love's advice is good if you want a more powerful sound. With that technique you'll want to use the same technique as you would on a NY Steinway hammer. I put a set of Ronsen Bacon felt on a 1930 Knabe to get a softer tone and used no hardeners. I just lightly filed and fitted them to the strings and used traditional shoulder voicing ( ala Brooks/Negron) to even them out and got a really nice result. Two years in they have brightened up a little but in a good way.

I am currently trying out samples of the Ronsen Bacon felt and Ronsen Weickert felt hammers on a Steinway O piano. For the Weickert felt hammers I do have prepping and voicing instructions from Wally Brooks, as well as the Dale Erwin/Ray Negron voicing protocols PDF from 2011.

But for the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers I have don't have any voicing notes or instructions, and my searches on PTG Pianotech and Journal articles have not provided much information about voicing these hammers.

If you have experience preparing and voicing the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers, I would be grateful if you can share it on this thread. 

Thank you!

------------------------------
Joe Burros
Cell: 646-410-7174
jbcello@gmail.com
www.fmi-newengland.com
------------------------------

I am currently trying out samples of the Ronsen Bacon felt and Ronsen Weickert felt hammers on a Steinway O piano. For the Weickert felt hammers I do have prepping and voicing instructions from Wally Brooks, as well as the Dale Erwin/Ray Negron voicing protocols PDF from 2011.

But for the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers I have don't have any voicing notes or instructions, and my searches on PTG Pianotech and Journal articles have not provided much information about voicing these hammers.

If you have experience preparing and voicing the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers, I would be grateful if you can share it on this thread. 

Thank you!

------------------------------
Joe Burros
Cell: 646-410-7174
jbcello@gmail.com
www.fmi-newengland.com
------------------------------

I am currently trying out samples of the Ronsen Bacon felt and Ronsen Weickert felt hammers on a Steinway O piano. For the Weickert felt hammers I do have prepping and voicing instructions from Wally Brooks, as well as the Dale Erwin/Ray Negron voicing protocols PDF from 2011.

But for the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers I have don't have any voicing notes or instructions, and my searches on PTG Pianotech and Journal articles have not provided much information about voicing these hammers.

If you have experience preparing and voicing the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers, I would be grateful if you can share it on this thread. 

Thank you!

------------------------------
Joe Burros
Cell: 646-410-7174
jbcello@gmail.com
www.fmi-newengland.com
------------------------------

Matt, what are your reasons for treating the Bacon felt hammers the same way as the Weichert felt hammers? It seems to me that the felt is quite different and would call for its own voicing protocol.

I have attached the Ray Negron and Dale Erwin Weickert felt voicing instructions to this post, for you to look over. I have also attached a nice explanation by Dale Erwin of the different types of hammers that Ronsen Hammer Company sells.

I am currently trying out samples of the Ronsen Bacon felt and Ronsen Weickert felt hammers on a Steinway O piano. For the Weickert felt hammers I do have prepping and voicing instructions from Wally Brooks, as well as the Dale Erwin/Ray Negron voicing protocols PDF from 2011.

But for the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers I have don't have any voicing notes or instructions, and my searches on PTG Pianotech and Journal articles have not provided much information about voicing these hammers.

If you have experience preparing and voicing the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers, I would be grateful if you can share it on this thread. 

Thank you!

------------------------------
Joe Burros
Cell: 646-410-7174
jbcello@gmail.com
www.fmi-newengland.com
------------------------------

Matt, what are your reasons for treating the Bacon felt hammers the same way as the Weichert felt hammers? It seems to me that the felt is quite different and would call for its own voicing protocol.

I have attached the Ray Negron and Dale Erwin Weickert felt voicing instructions to this post, for you to look over. I have also attached a nice explanation by Dale Erwin of the different types of hammers that Ronsen Hammer Company sells.

I am currently trying out samples of the Ronsen Bacon felt and Ronsen Weickert felt hammers on a Steinway O piano. For the Weickert felt hammers I do have prepping and voicing instructions from Wally Brooks, as well as the Dale Erwin/Ray Negron voicing protocols PDF from 2011.

But for the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers I have don't have any voicing notes or instructions, and my searches on PTG Pianotech and Journal articles have not provided much information about voicing these hammers.

If you have experience preparing and voicing the Ronsen Bacon felt hammers, I would be grateful if you can share it on this thread. 

Thank you!

------------------------------
Joe Burros
Cell: 646-410-7174
jbcello@gmail.com
www.fmi-newengland.com
------------------------------