Patrick Handscombe wrote in MMD 031218:

> Many instruments seem too loud because their hammers have
> hardened with use and they have not been correctly re-voiced.

I don't know if I have talked about this, but my problem with the
"Steinway Duo-Art playing too loud" was directly due to the voicing
of the hammers.  Someone asked if the hammers had turned to stone.
My response was that I liked the brilliant sound.

Don't ignore this advice like I did.  It was the very reason for the
harsh sound that I was getting at the louder volumes.

It does take effort to remove the keybed of the Duo-Art grand piano
but it is well worth the effort.  Even going through the hammers and
needling them should make a big difference.  What this does is lower
the overall playing volume.  The soft playing gets softer and the loud
playing gets mellower without the piercing high frequency harmonics.

If you just opt to do needling of the 70-year-old hammers, just don't
expect them to keep their same sound for a long time.  With time and
playing, the felt will pack down tightly again and gradually get more
br
rs, just don't
expect them to keep their same sound for a long time.  With time and
playing, the felt will pack down tightly again and gradually get more
brilliant without you noticing.  The needling that I did one year ago
seems to be holding okay.  As for now, I still need to replace my
hammers and have them re-voiced, which I know will close this issue
for my lifetime.

Pete Knobloch (Tempe Arizona, USA)