Wessell, Nickel & Gross hammers are made with walnut moldings and the finest grade Wertzun felt. The basic set of hammers comes in three sizes: grosse 3 (14 lbs), grosse 4 (16 lbs.), and grosse 5 (18 lbs.). The tails are very long with no differentiation between bass and treble in length.

Four different machining options are available. The machining operations must be done sequentially. For example, if you would like to machine the backcheck seat, you'll also need to have the hammers drilled and cut. The following operations are available:

Hammer Types

There are two basic types of hammers in the market today.

Some companies, most notably New York Steinway, use very soft felt in their hammers. When voiced, these hammers are too soft until a hardener, typically lacquer, is applied to achieve tone. This is referred as a "lacquer up" hammer.

Most European companies use a dense felt to make the hammer. When voiced these hammers are hard, and must be needled to soften the hammer to achieve tone. Hammers of this type are referred to as "needle down" hammers.

Wessell, Nickel & Gross hammers are "needle down" hammers.

Drilling

Hammers need to be drilled. Wessell, Nickel & Gross can accommodate any diameter, bore length and angle required.

Diameter:
- Appropriate for composite shanks
- Any other size you might require

Bore Length:
- Standard distance from samples for bass and treble
- Factory specs (if available)
- Custom bore to take into account changing string heights

Angles:
- From samples (angles are inferred)
- From technician supplied angle specifications
- To factory specs (if available)

Length & Cove

After drilling, hammers need to be cut to length so they interface with backchecks properly. Wessell, Nickel & Gross can cut to length in the following ways:

- From samples
- To 1" or 25.4mm as required by WNG Back Check System
- To technician supplied spec

After the hammers are cut to length, typically they are also coved so as to reduce mass. WNG can cove in the following ways:

- Standard Cove
- Maximum for weight

Machine Backcheck Seat

Many rebuilders machine a squaring arc on the back of the hammer to create a seat for checking. The Wessell, Nickel & Gross backcheck system provides high-quality tools for this job. WNG can also machine the checking seat on the hammer tail as part of the tail prep, if you prefer.

Taper

Hammers need to be tapered both for clearance and mass. A full top-to-bottom taper is an industry best practice. WNG offers a full top-to-bottom taper as a hammer machining option.

Wessell, Nickel & Gross hammers are coming soon...