Plastic action parts

[Don Mannino]

You know, it's kind of funny - Kawai has used ABS since 1968 - 36 years 
without any brittleness, cracking, weakening, etc.  Yet people still call 
it into question.

When Kawai first introduced the ABS, people said, "Yeah, but let's see how 
they are after 10 years."  10 years went by and the parts still worked 
great, and people said, "yeah, but let's see how they are after 20 
years."  20 years passed and people said, "Yeah, but let's see how they are 
after 30 years."  Now the parts have been working well for 30 years with no 
degradation, but people won't be happy until 50 or 100 years have passed.

And then you read threads on this list about the piano business stagnating 
and not innovating.  Gee, I wonder why?

Don Mannino, RPT
Kawai America


At 08:29 AM 12/18/2004, you wrote:
>Phil, thank you for your response.  I would like to feel the way you do
>about the modern plastics, but manufacturers probably said that when they
>first began to use plastics.  Let's give current composites another 30 to 40
>years and see how long they last.  We DO know how long wood flanges last.
>Joy!
>Elwood
>
>Elwood Doss, Jr., RPT
>Piano Technician/Technical Director
>Department of Music
>145 Fine Arts Building
>University of Tennessee at Martin
>Martin, TN  38238
>731-881-1852