<HTML><HEAD> <META charset=US-ASCII http-equiv=Content-Type= content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1400" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial;= BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"> <DIV> <DIV align=left>Tom:</DIV> <DIV align=left> </DIV> <DIV align=left>I've hung Renner Blues almost exclusively for= many years and have never had any pull apart yet.  What do= you mean by "pull completely apart"? Where?  Inquiring= minds want to know.</DIV> <DIV align=left> </DIV> <DIV align=left>dave</DIV> <DIV= align=left><BR>__________________________________________</DIV> <DIV align=left>David M. Porritt, RPT</DIV> <DIV align=left>Meadows School of the Arts</DIV> <DIV align=left>Southern Methodist University</DIV> <DIV align=left>Dallas, TX 75275</DIV> <DIV align=left> </DIV> <DIV align=left><BR>----- Original message= ----------------------------------------><BR>From: <<A= href="mailto:Tompiano@aol.com">Tompiano@aol.com</A>><BR>To:= <<A= href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>><BR>Rec= eived: Tue, 1 Jun 2004 07:20:08 EDT<BR>Subject: Re: Werzen/Ronsen= hammer update</DIV> <DIV align=left><BR>In a message dated 5/31/2004 11:09:43 PM= Eastern Daylight Time, Erwinspiano@aol.com writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px;= BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT face=Arial size=2>Can you= tell me how the Werzen hammer compares to Abel and Renner blues= ? Or have you used those before ? I am not familiar with Werzen,= what are their origins, pedigree and outlets ? Can you get them= prehung ?</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV>Dan,</DIV> <DIV>I personally like Abel hammers, as I have probably installed= about a 7 dozen on various instruments (from concert pianos= to small grands). I have been using them since Wally Brooks= first started selling them in the mid 1990's. They voice out= quite nicely and are an easy hammer to maintain on the stage.= Voicing stays rather predictably.<BR>That being said, I have= noticed that the hammers have been showing up in the raw= stage much harder then I remember in years past. Now the hammers= sound closer to the Yamaha hammers right out of the box. So= there's quite a bit of preparation needling just to get one in= the ballpark.</DIV> <DIV>The Wurtzen felt is entirely a different animal all= together. It is used with minimal heat, says Ray Negron from= Ronsen, and the material is like nothing else we have had= available for our industry in sometime. This appears to be the= same material the older Steinways and better pianos used during= the turn of the century. And we can determine by all the older= Steinways and Mason & Hamlins, how nice of sound those= hammers delivered even after 80 years.</DIV> <DIV>Ronsen will custom make your hammers with your pick of wood.= I have picked the soft maple because it's lighter and I don't= want to add any touch issues into the mix.</DIV> <DIV>The last 2 sets put the touch weight in the mid -to high= 40's with a nice upweight.</DIV> <DIV>Preparation: for a large piano I'm sure you are going to= need some juicing on both extremes of the keyboard. Normal= hammer filing, good hammer/string fit, and some light needling= and you are in business. </DIV> <DIV>Wait till you hear the expansive sound these hammer= generate. You won't believe it!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Renner Blues: I do not like these hammers nor can I= recommend them. I live in S. Florida and I have installed 10= sets in the past. Each and every set has pulled completely apart= within 5 years after installation. And that is with humidity= control devices installed.</DIV> <DIV>Has anyone else had that experience with the Renner= Blues?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Tom Servinsky</DIV></BODY></HTML>