<HTML><HEAD> <META charset=US-ASCII http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; cha= rset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1400" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff= f"> <DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 5/31/2004 11:09:43 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Erwinsp= iano@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 no= t familiar with Werzen, what are their origins, pedigree and outlets ? Can y= ou get them prehung ?</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV>Dan,</DIV> <DIV>I personally like Abel hammers, as I have probably installed about a&nb= sp;7 dozen on various instruments (from concert pianos to small grands). I h= ave 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 t= he stage. Voicing stays rather predictably.<BR>That being said, I have notic= ed that the hammers have been showing up in the raw stage much harder t= hen I remember in years past. Now the hammers sound closer to the Yamaha ham= mers right out of the box. So there's quite a bit of preparation needling ju= st to get one in the ballpark.</DIV> <DIV>The Wurtzen felt is entirely a different animal all together. It is use= d with minimal heat, says Ray Negron from Ronsen, and the material is like n= othing 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 t= he 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 pic= ked the soft maple because it's lighter and I don't want to add any touch is= sues into the mix.</DIV> <DIV>The last 2 sets put the touch weight in the mid -to high 40's with a ni= ce upweight.</DIV> <DIV>Preparation: for a large piano I'm sure you are going to need some juic= ing on both extremes of the keyboard. Normal hammer filing, good hammer/stri= ng 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 l= ive in S. Florida and I have installed 10 sets in the past. Each and every s= et has pulled completely apart within 5 years after installation. And that i= s 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>