[CAUT] WNG parts

[Andrew Anderson]

When I was attending a PianoDisc installation seminar in Sacramento  
Mr. Burgett handed samples of the action and shank-flange out to look  
at and discussed the research that went into the design.  You can  
order them with customizable heal and heal angle for the whippen.   
Apparently if you get your gluing wrong on the hammers you can burn in  
a twist to the shank and it will keep it indefinitely.

Apparently this action will be available on M&H as a special order,  
but not for production simply because it does not look traditional at  
all.  Similar shape and arrangement of levers but no attempt is made  
to disguise the fact that this is a new, improved action!  (Salesmen  
and as a result, their customers, are very traditional.)

Friction is very low throughout (even in the hammer flange) but it is  
stabile through a "proprietary process" that he wasn't prepared to go  
into detail about just yet.  The parts are very light yet much  
stronger then wood.  He suggested that could be taken advantage of in  
action design and weigh-off.  He sees this as a departure from blind  
tradition into research based problem solving.  They definitely have a  
"tech" look about them.

I keep string covers on my pianos here to prevent rust so I'm  
tempted.  Just haven't got around to coughing up the dough.  None of  
the pianos I service institutionally are off their Steinway warranty  
yet (not that its worth the paper its written on in our case: dealer).

Andrew Anderson

On Oct 3, 2008, at 1:19 PM, Graves, Tony J. wrote:

>
> Conrad here's the letter. The subject line was "WNG Complimentary  
> Parts"  I
> got a couple of emails from them I trashed the first one not knowing  
> what it
> was because of the subject line and finally opened one up.  I'm sure  
> a few
> of you trashed it too because of the subject line.
>
>
>
> --
> Tony Graves RPT
> Piano Technician
> School of Music
> Ball State University
> Muncie, IN 47306
> (765) 285-0053
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Wessell, Nickel & Gross
> 4111 North Freeway Blvd.
> Sacramento, CA 95834
> Tel: 916-567-9999
> Tel: 800-566-3472
> Fax: 916-567-1941
>
>
>
> Complimentary Composite Hammer Shanks and Flanges
>
>
> Wessell, Nickel & Gross (WNG) invites technicians for institutional  
> piano
> programs to
> sample and evaluate our new high performance composite shanks and  
> flanges.
>
> The WNG composite hammer shank combines a composite shank butt and a  
> carbon
> tube
> shank.  The shank butt is made from the standard WNG black  
> composite.  The
> carbon
> tube shank is made, via pultrusion, of fiber and epoxy.  The result  
> is an
> extraordinarily
> stiff shank that does not suffer from the tendency to bend and whip  
> like
> wooden shanks.
>
> WNG is currently offering, for both sale and evaluation, composite  
> shanks
> and flanges
> for the following pianos:
>
>                              Mason & Hamlin
>                           WNG legacy actions
>                                   Steinway
>                                   Baldwin
>                                   Yamaha
>
> If you are interested in purchasing or evaluating WNG parts, please  
> let us
> know (contact
> information below). We can then discuss the conditions of our WNG  
> evaluation
> program,
> which will include your helpful feedback and testimonial. If these  
> parts can
> be installed
> and evaluations completed within four months please let us hear from  
> you.
>
> Additional information of WNG action parts and accessories can be  
> found at
> www.wessellnickelgross.com in Fall/Winter 2008.
>
> To order the complimentary shanks and flanges please email Nina  
> Butler at
> Nina at pianodisc.com or call 916-719-1323.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>