Your primary tool should make your job easier & more enjoyable.
A quality lever is only as good as the tip that controls it.
A new breed of tip with American & German Engineering. Our 5 tips are made from a seriously tough, hardened steel alloy & finished with a beautiful black oxide coating. Each Prestige tip has been fabricated for phenomenal lever & pin control, leading to a more efficient & accurate tuning.
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We make 5 tip sizes: 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, & 3.
When I walk up to a piano, I pull out my tip case (which holds 4 tips & 4 inserts) and test my 2a & 1a first to see how they fit on the pins.
I recommend purchasing (1) insert per tip. Our heads have been engine reh to quickly release the tip inserts’ threads. The threads mated to the tips are finer, or more difficult to remove.
Please see this chart on the Best Tip Size.
1a - modeled off BKB 2 & fits many modern pianos like a glove
1b - the smallest tip we make, fitting ultra small tuning pins
2a - modeled of BKB 3 & fits both modern & vintage pianos
2b - slightly larger than the 2a, also great for 3/0 & 4/0 pins
3 - fits the largest tuning pins
For reference, some Steinways pair perfectly with the 1a tip, while others pair perfectly with the 1b. Some vintage Steinways like the 2a or 2b best. This can be said about many other manufactures I've tuned using this tips with, like Yamaha, Baldwin, Young Chang, Ritmuller, Kawai, Mason & Hamlin, etc.
Your best bet is to collect all 5 tips.
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Our new tips should be compatible with
• Cassotto Levers (naturally!)
• Faulk (most)
• Reyburn Rigid (most)
• Jahn Heads (with one of our tip inserts)
• some Hale & Watanabe heads (some)
• some Fujans (you nee to contact Fujan directly)
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Black oxide is what it sounds like - it’s a controlled form of rust. By its nature it should not flake or rub off.
If any excessive moisture or acids from hand creams, lotions, cleaners with salts, or acids hit black oxide, you will introduce red rust.
To help prevent this, you can buy one of our wooden cases to keep the tips and inserts in when they’re not in use, keep the parts away from liquids, and keep your hands clean.
To further protect the black oxide, you can wipe any black oxide finish with a wax. My favorite is Renaissance Wax which dries hard instantly. Follow manufacturer’s instructions on safety and wipe off any residue before using parts on pianos.
Create Your Own Below
To create your own, select any of the 5 choices:
Body Style
Head Angle & Tip Insert
Wood Species or Coloring
Logo
Finish Style
Tips
1. Body Styles
Classic
#1 Choice! A ball is a must for efficiency. It makes lifting the tip off pins on verticals far easier and faster with the flick of your wrist.
LENGTH SELECTIONS
11” (27.94cm) excellent speed & lightweight
12” (30.48cm) technician favorite for speed, power, & weight
13” (33.02cm) 2nd tech favorite for speed & power
14” (35.56cm) amazing power
BALL DIAMETER
1 7/8" (4.76cm) to 2" (5.08cm)
2 1/4" (5.71cm) to 2 3/8" (6.03cm) technician favorite
2 1/2" (6.35cm) to 2 5/8" (6.67cm)
Stick
Our streamline lever that offers both power & efficiency without all the bells and whistles.
Less than 1 1/8” diameter.
Hybrid
Our tapered ball flows seamlessly into the wooden body. A great choice if you like both the linear & classic bodies.
LENGTH SELECTIONS
11” (27.94cm) excellent speed & lightweight
12” (30.48cm) technician favorite for speed, power, & weight
13” (33.02cm) 2nd tech favorite for speed & power
14” (35.56cm) amazing power
BALL DIAMETER
1 7/8" (4.76cm) to 2" (5.08cm)
2 1/4" (5.71cm) to 2 3/8" (6.03cm) technician favorite
2 1/2" (6.35cm) to 2 5/8" (6.67cm)
Linear
This is a nod to a traditional tuning lever with our own added ergonomic grip.
LENGTH SELECTIONS
11” (27.94cm) excellent speed & lightweight
12” (30.48cm) technician favorite for speed, power, & weight
13” (33.02cm) 2nd tech favorite for speed & power
14” (35.56cm) amazing power
COmpact CLassic
Chosen more by women and technicians with smaller hands. Powerful, sleek, & compact.
LENGTH SELECTIONS
11” (27.94cm) excellent speed & lightweight
12” (30.48cm) technician favorite for speed, power, & weight
13” (33.02cm) 2nd tech favorite for speed & power
14” (35.56cm) amazing power
BALL DIAMETER
1 7/8" (4.76cm) to 2" (5.08cm) - BEST SIZE FOR COMPACT CLASSIC
Pinch
Our little pinch gets into small & tight areas, all while packing a powerful punch.
Available in 8” length only
2. Head Angle & Tip Insert Type
Head
Each lever comes with (1) complimentary head of your choice.
The 10˚, 12.5˚ & my favorite - the 15˚. As of March 28th, 2024, We have now made these interchangeable so that users can switch out heads, as needed.
Inserts
Each lever comes with (1) 1/2” half round hex steel insert.
I recommend one tip insert, either 1/2” half round hex or 3/8” hex per tip you purchase for easy removal of the tip from the head.
1/2” Half Round Hex Steel Insert with excellent height & torque at the pin. Can be removed from tip with 7/16” socket. This pair best with the 10˚, 12.5˚, & 15˚ head.
3/8” Hex Steel Insert with a lower center of gravity at the pin. Can be removed from tip with 7/16” socket. This pairs best with the 12.5˚ & 15˚ head.
3. Wood Selection - See my Instagram for ideas.
My favorite light-weighted woods:
black limba (one of my favorites)
walnut
clairo walnut
maple
white ash
segmented aromatic cedar
blue mahoe (hard to get)
birdseye maple (hard to get)
spalted tamarind
mahogany
white ash
My favorite moderately weighted woods:
bocote (one of my favorites)
paduak
cocobolo (hard to get)
mango
purpleheart
My favorite heavier weighted woods:
bloodwood
purpleheart
wenge
4. Logo
Personally, I think business branding your own most useful tool shows your client your professionalism.
I USE 3 PRIMARY LOGO TYPES:
black or white logo $35
double logo (body & ball/handle end) $55
holographic or glow-in-the-dark logos +Add $45 to either option above
5. Finish Style
Semi-Gloss/Satin ©RC Flex Finish (my own formula of 2-part epoxy & special ca)
or
Ultra High Gloss Finish
ORDER FORM
Once I receive the request below, you will receive a personalized quote from Randy Cassotto directly. If the quote looks good, he will then send you a payment request. Once payment is received, your lever goes into the production queue. General lead time is approximately 3 weeks.
For logos, please separately email Randy at cassottolevers@gmail.com with your logo attached as a .png file or svg file.