Jenn-you-whine Steinway parts

[D.L. Bullock]

I have had almost idential experience with "Jenn-you-whine" Steinway parts.
My answer is the same for Steinways as for any other fine piano
rebuild---Renner, Renner, Renner.  Hammers need almost no voicing, shanks
are great and wippens are great.  You cannot go wrong with the three way
Renner rebuild.  You must get them from Renner USA and Lloyd Meyer (sp?) in
Carefree, Arizona.  From anywhere else you may pay too much.

I am very distressed about Steinway using Polyurethane glue.  Hot animal
Hide glue is all I would ever want to use for Hammers.

D.L. Bullock
www.thepianoworld.com
St. Louis

Original message---------------
Date: Sat, 11 May 2002 11:22:49 -0500
From: "Greg Torres" <Tunapiana440@cox.net>
Subject: Re: Re: 1969 Steinway L CBS?

FWIW...

My latest and perhaps my last experience with Steinway parts was not a good
one. I did a partial action rebuild recently for a customer's 'M' because of
bad verdigree which consisted of hammers, shanks/flanges and whipens . The
customer insisted on genuine Steinway parts. As there was (and I believe
still is) a weird factory schedule going on at the time (last November) I
was not able to receive the pre-hung set of hammers and shanks they offered
so I had to go with separate hammer and shank/flange sets. The quality of
the hammers was awful IMO and the average difference between the hammer bore
and shank diameter was so great that the hammers literally rocked on the
shanks as much as 7-8 degrees. I sent this first set of hammers and shanks
back and when the second sets came back the hammers were even worse quality
than the first and the bore/shank diameter was the same. For example, the
thickness of the reinforcement felt on the extreme treble hammers was about
1/8" compared to the original hammers which were about 1/32" thick. These
hammers were more like sponges! I had to literally saturate these hammers in
hardner.

Then I got a call from Steinway because they received my returned parts and
said that there was nothing wrong with the "fit" ....WTF? When I gave them
the specs of the original hammer bore they said that the loose fit is normal
and that the factory can only bore their hammers to that of what I received,
so if I didn't like this loose a fit then either send them back (again, I
lose money on my time, shipping and insurance, etc) or use polyurethane
glue...

Because of time constraints and an increasing monetary loss I wound up using
these crappy parts and polyurethane glue, you know, the kind that expands to
fill gaps...

I will not ever buy genuine Steinway parts again unless the customer
absolutely insists. And then I certainly will charge a hell of a lot more
money for repairs. Also, I got a call back from the client a few days ago
still wanting more brilliance in the treble...so I have to go back next week
and try more hardener or perhaps (yikes!!) different hammers...

BUT, I will end this rant by saying that the quality of the original
Steinway parts was very very good, except for the verdigree problem. I saved
them with thoughts of rebushing them perhaps. But I have heard that the
verdigree will eventually come back even by doing this...

Best,
Greg

PS If anyone can recommend suppliers of substitute (read: better?)
hammers/parts for Steinways I am all ears...Thanks