Composite Material
Composite Actions are state of the art and very precise. Not subject to the moisture as much as old wooden technology. Resists sticking keys and increase accuracy of individual notes. This shows the Hammer Section being replaced from wood to black colored composite material. Also, the Whippens are being replaced.
By doing this the action will have a better touch and increase accuracy. Extremely helpful in rebuilding an old piano as many parts are no longer made, and if produced to be close to specs with some wooden parts that are available then the touch and speed of action usually suffers. The new technology of composite actions is a dream come true!
Some pianos are very old, or in moisture heavy areas (like a restaurant or near a door with a pool outside), which can cause lots of sluggish keys and fast notes played may fail to repeat quickly. We are very fortunate to be able to offer composite material (required special schooling at the factory), which increases accuracy and extends the life of the parts. Moisture has a difficult time getting into composite material as there is less space with more precision, so if I had a concert to play outside for the afternoon it would be my choice to have a composite action piano. Wood can contract or swell with moisture changes causing many issues. We can fight some moisture with heat rods (damp chaser) or lubricants, but with composites usually one doesn’t need all the short-term patches, as they just work not needing attention.
When a piano manufacturer is out of business and not making the parts anymore, it was almost impossible to replace non existing parts and get the piano working correctly, but with composites they solved many issues with multiple spacing to make the part more exact. Better than that though is the ability to take a poor/hard touch piano like some older models and use composite material, which can change the fulcrum so the touch can feel softer and pleasing to the pianist, giving freedom to fly across the keyboard and get creative without hindrances.