Avery Todd wrote: >>Since with my wonderful organizational skills I can't find the handout on the subject, can someone please tell me the name of the black plastic-like material that is being used in Kawai's for flanges, etc.? Could this be the same material that is sometime used in harpsichords for the plectrum?<< The Kawai black plastic material is only used on the jacks. It is a carbon-fiber composite, containing carbon and Polyacetal. Someone with more chemistry in their training might want to comment more than I can on these materials. I doubt that this is used for hapsichord plectra, but it could be used for the jacks. It's rather expensive, and I don't think it would lend itself to voicing (as in trimming with a knife) well. The material used in flanges and other action parts is tan colored, and is ABS Styran, a softer, more resilient material, but lacking a little of the strength to weight ratio advantages of the carbon jack. Don Mannino RPT, Manager Kawai Piano Technical Support 74473.624@compuserve.com
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