Wertheim/Fandrich Series Pianos. Only piano you will ever see that actually plays and sounds like a grand piano. As opposed to just a big sounding upright - there is a difference.
Skeleton
The skeleton is the foundation of the piano. The skeleton of the WF-125 is an entirely new design. It uses “semi-mortice and tenon” construction.
At the top is a unique pin block design (quite possibly the best in the industry). The massive back posts are separated by solid softwood spacers. This is all backed by a 20 mm thick laminated hardwood stiffening panel. At the bottom, usually the weakest part of a vertical piano’s structure, there is a massive, solid hardwood beam. The backposts are mortised into this beam. One of the design goals of the new WF series of vertical pianos is stability. This skeleton assembly provides one of the strongest and most stable skeleton assemblies available in vertical pianos of any price today.
The benefit: Improved tuning stability. Longer piano life.
String Frame
The string frame is also an entirely new design. It uses massive and well-engineered bracing to work with the skeleton assembly to ensure that the new WF series pianos will be among the strongest and most stable available.
The benefit: Improved tuning stability. Improved tone performance.
String scale
The low- to mid-tension string scale is designed to provide the best timbral balance possible across the compass of the piano.
The benefit: Improved tone. Improved tuning stability.
Vertical hitch pins
Vertical hitch pins ensure that every string has the precise string bearing on the bridge.
The benefit: Improved performance. Improved tuning stability.
Agraffes
All WF pianos use Agraffes to terminate the speaking lengths of the strings. These agraffes ensure precise spacing of the strings. They also provide a more efficient termination for the vibrating strings.
The benefit: Improved string positioning for precise hammer strike on the strings. Improved tone performance. Improved sustain.
Soundboard design
Exclusive Wertheim Impedance Controlled Soundboard
All pianos in the WF series feature a soundboard and rib design that has been developed over years of analysis and testing.
The most obvious design feature is the Impedance Bar (or “Z-Bar”). This is a carefully designed wood “soundboard shaping device” that precisely controls how the sound board reacts to different notes, or frequencies. It optimizes the size and shape of the soundboard and smooths the transition between the bass and the tenor. The ribs are not quite parallel. This design helps to eliminate strong, undesirable resonances and smooths out the “voice” of the piano across the scale. This soundboard design is so unique that our designer, Delwin D Fandrich, was granted a U.S. patent for it.
The benefit: The bass-to-tenor transition is musically transparent giving the piano a smooth and well-balanced timbre across the compass of the piano.
Soundboard construction
All WF pianos use highly engineered soundboard panels. These sound board panels use what is called “narrow-angle” grain orientation between the thicker solid spruce core and the thinner spruce outer veneers. Their construction ensures that the soundboards perform like solid spruce soundboard panels but have the added advantage of being resistant to swelling (in areas where the climate is very humid) and cracking in areas where the climate very dry.
The benefit: Improved tuning stability. Resistant to swelling and/or cracking. Longer piano life. More consistent tone performance.
Soundboard float
In conventional piano soundboard design, the soundboard is firmly attached to the skeleton all the way around its parameter. In the WF pianos we separate the sound board from the skeleton in a short area around the bass bridge. This feature allows the soundboard to move more freely and greatly improves the bass tone quality.
The benefit: Improved bass tone quality.
Keys
The keys are longer than those found in most pianos. This gives the pianist better control over the action. There is less variation in touch weight from the front of the keys to the back of the keys.
The benefit: Better control. Improved sense of “touch.” Better action “feel.”
Dampers
The WF V3 pianos use brass (rather than wood) damper barrels in the bass. The added mass of these barrels greatly improves damping efficiency in the bass. This allows the use of lighter damper springs and greatly improves action performance when the piano is being played at pianissimo (i.e. “soft”) volume levels.
The benefit: Improved damping in the bass. Improved action control (touch) when playing at pianissimo levels.
Hammer strike line
The WF pianos are designed to have a straight hammer strike line. The hammers do not “rise” near the bass-to-tenor break. This ensures consistent action ratio on these notes and makes action control consistent.
The benefit: Improved action touch, control.
Hammers
The WF pianos use a variety of hammers to suit the requirements of the most discerning piano buyer. For the richest warm European tone we use special German Renner custom hammers that are pressed with highest quality felt. For our unique European tone we use German custom shaped Abel hammers. For lower cost version we use German FFW hammer felt.
Strings
For WF V1 professional models we use Custom German Heller and Custom USA Mapes.
For lower cost version we use Japanese Suzuki strings.
Actions
For WF V1 professional models we use German Renner and USA WNG actions.
For lower cost versions we use export quality Chinese actions.
