I almost posted something similar to Cy's post, but with only one minor difference. I would recommend David's Stanwood's "Spike & Peen" method of fairly shallow and very safe method of voicing first.
This along with at least minor filing as Cy says, is a really great way to "recondition" the surface (and just a bit under the surface but it certainly does not go deep at all). David Stanwood recently described this on another site saying (basically)... it makes the felt more flexible & resilient, but without robbing the power or brightness with forte playing.
Kent Swafford also posted about this method, saying, "I now consider this method the 'Holy Grail' of voicing".
This is always worth a try-I suggest beginning with the brightest, most out-of-balance area of the Piano-usually right in the middle somewhere. If it does not seem to "do it".. hardly ANY time invested.
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[Kevin] [Fortenberry] [RPT]
[Staff Techician]
[Texas Tech Univ]
[Lubbock] [TX]
[8067783962]
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-05-2018 08:21
From: Cy Shuster
Subject: Yamaha GB1 Voicing
All your suggestions are great: get the DC going, etc. But 90% of pianos can be improved by hammer filing (just until faint grooves remain). If still bright, sugar-coating with a tool like Jim Coleman's twelve-needle tool does wonders, and is much easier to control than steam.
-Cy
Original Message------
More information via email exchange- the Dampp Chaser needs the tank serviced, new pads etc Because of company at clients house the month of August I am not going until next month. Piano was new when purchases 8-9 years ago and it was voiced with needles at least once but only a site visit will determine condition. Pictures I got show 14 foot ceilings, open floor plan and the piano on a very thin rug. Floor looks like the now popular laminate flooring most likely over concrete slab. I agree- a good acoustical evaluation and some changes may be in order to at least tame the beast. I had a customer move her Petrof from a town house with high ceilings, open floor plan etc to a home with low ceilings and stuffed with furniture. She whined about how dead the piano sounded , did not want to pay for the services of a tech who knew Petrofs and best way to voice them ( assuming he thought it was needed). i told her it was the room. Eventually she moved the piano back to the town house without any voicing being done and said the piano was "wonderful"
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James Kelly
Pawleys Island SC
843-325-4357
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