[CAUT] WNG parts

[Chris Solliday]

I too am in the process of restoring a M&H BB using WNG parts. It discussion
has been most interesting and I thank everyone for answering many of my
questions before they were asked. I played the CC at Las Vegas this summer
and was very impressed the touch and its evenness. I was, however, literally
frightened by the tone quality. At first I thought that it was amplified and
I asked Bruce to turn it off. He assured me that it wasn't and that if I
kept playing I would get used to "it." To some degree I did but I really
felt like I would like an hour or two alone in a quiet room to really warm
up to something so atypical. The sound is HOT. The sustain is long and it
begins at a level that seems higher sooner. I still haven't got exactly the
right description for it but it is definitely different than most anything
else (read, wooden shanks). My fear is that the pianist that I am working
for will also be frightened. This piano is in his teaching studio and then
he and the students go to the recital hall where there is a Bosendorfer and
a Steinway for their concerts. I'm worried that even if they do like or get
used to the WNG shanks tonal production, they may find practicing on it and
then shifting gears to the more conventional tone of the other pianos too
much of a jump. I haven't drilled the hammers yet and have a set of wooden
ones which I bought just in case. The design and material choice of these
parts seems revolutionary in terms of stability and weight control, to me at
least, and I really want them to work. I notice that Kawai with their entry
hasn't gone to the shanks with plastic, perhaps for the reasons that I fear.
Does anyone have any experience with this aspect yet? Or opinions? Oh I know
there are opinions out there! I'm askin' for it.

Thanks,

Chris Solliday  

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