Flash - Flash - Flash After writing the advice below, I got a nice email from Lloyd Meyer at Renner USA. You've really got to watch those folks. They listen to what technicians want and - before you know it - there are new renditions of "the songs we want to sing!" In my own defense (if one is needed) I took Dave Peake's comment to mean that the shank diameter changed from shank to shank. That is what "graduated" means to me. Here is Lloyd Meyer's comment - used with permission: "To be specific, we have added a third tapering which is halfway between the standard dimension and the tapered shanks in the treble, the number of which also changed several years ago with the Renner USA program. We've now progressed to this additional tapering which was available first on replacement shanks & flanges for Steinway and Mason & Hamlin and will eventually be available on all of our executions. You are correct that this is very expensive to do from a manufacturing perspective, and I believe we are the only manufacturer doing this. This is all part of our response to the weight issue, which includes the Premium Blue Lite hammers and now the new Turbo wippen which is getting great revues." Lloyd went on to say that many innovations of this kind are available only through the Renner USA program and they supply technical support to their products. Readers of this List and participants in our various technical classes know that Pris and I really appreciate the quality and consistency of the Renner parts. So I'll repeat what I have previously said in this forum: If you want to work with these first-class action parts (and tools, too), give Renner USA a call to see what they currently have. [Non-compensated, personal opinion] ----Joel Joel Rappaport wrote: > > DGPEAKE@aol.com wrote: > > > > One thing I like about Renner Grand shanks is the set comes with graduated > > with. Heavier shanks at the bottom, and lighter shanks at the top. The > > friction is graduated to and very little repinning is needed. > > > Dave, > I wonder if the shank widths are really graduated and with graduated > friction adjustments, too. That would be some manufacturing feat on > thousands of sets! > > What I have experienced are two shank configurations in a set. Normal > diameter shanks and the last 20 of the set (includes extras) are reduced > on the sides only. My recommendation (based on what I have seen on new > pianos that use these shanks) is thin shanks in the top section and also > the last two notes of the next to the top section as a transition. > > ----Joel
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC