Bill, All the Rippens (thankfully very few) that I've encountered had keys with a kind of plastic hinge at the balance point where the usual piano has, well, the usual balance rail pin, bushings, etc. I forget how many other plastic parts there were in these pianos. Much like the infamous Betsy Ross Lester spinets' crumbling plastic elbows, this plastic is usually in an advanced state of deterioration (crumbling & falling apart) when the average US technician approaches the instrument. The last time I looked, a more traditional retrofit seemed prohibitively expensive, and parts have been unavailable for a long time. I'm glad to hear you have had no troubles with your Rippen. Patrick Draine On 2/12/07, William Morton <wjmwjm at asisna.com> wrote: > > I've heard on this board several times that Rippens are awful, but > never any information > as to WHY they are awful. What is it about Rippens that makes them bad? > > Bill >
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