Grand Shanks-New Devlopment

[Joel Rappaport]

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