What are Composite Action Parts?
Early use of plastic in piano actions from the 1930’s and 1940’s resulted in horrible degradation of the materials, to a point where they simply disintegrated when handled. This was caused by a basic lack of knowledge about the characteristics of the materials at that point in history. It rendered many pianos, mostly spinets and small uprights, completely useless, and not worth repairing. This has also resulted in giving plastics and composites a “bad-rep” in the piano industry. In December, 2008, the Wessell, Nickel and Gross company introduced their new line of replacement composite action components for pianos such as Steinway and Sons, Mason and Hamlin, Bösendorfer, and many others. These types of revolutionary components have been used for many years by manufacturers such as Yamaha and Kawai, with Kawai leading the industry with their development of the Millennium III ABS-Carbon Action. These new composite materials have undergone years of testing and evaluation, and the advantage
