Lead Time
Please allow up to 2 weeks for us to custom build your lever to the length you specify. We may occasionally pre-build some levers to common lengths so they are ready to ship immediately.
Tuning Tips Sold Separately Here
The Kestrel accepts Jahn type male-threaded tips, or an adapter to convert to standard female-threaded tips, such as Taffijn, BKB, Watanabe, Cassotto, Hale, etc.
The 5 Ounce Tuning Lever
The Kestrel is the world's lightest tuning lever*, with the most rigid carbon fiber possible, offering precision, feedback, and agility unlike anything else you've experienced. Our carbon fiber modulus (stiffness measure) is 3.5 times that of off-the-shelf structural CF tubing, and is specially made for us in small batches. Despite using more expensive tubing, the Kestrel is priced to be one of the more affordable US-made CF levers. We build the Kestrel to the length you specify, in our shop in Mesa, AZ.
Aluminum Head
The Kestrel's 12.5 degree angle head is anodized aircraft aluminum.
Handles
The composite handles are durable ASA plastic, in a variety of shapes. We will also offer wood handles with limited availability. The carbon fiber tubing extends through the handle to the center of the ball of the handle.
Note: The 50mm Offset handle shape brings the hand position closer to the pinblock, This basically makes it operate like a 10 degree lever with a concentric handle (see note below on head angles). The offset ball shape will provide less plate strut clearance than the concentric ball shape, so keep this in mind when choosing tip length.
Choosing Lever Length
There is a "sweet spot" length that will give you the best results, and it may not the same for everyone. We believe 11" will work well for most tuners, and is a good length if you aren't sure where to start. To get the most benefit from the Kestrel's design, we recommend not going longer than 12.5.
A longer lever makes it easier to move the tuning pin. This feels more comfortable, but some tuners mistake this comfort for improved performance. The ease of a longer lever actually comes at the cost of reduced accuracy, control, and feedback. A shorter lever will provide a stronger sense of control, and a better connection to what is happening to the tuning pin and wire movements, often resulting in faster tuning times and more confidence in unison stability, but this comes at the cost of comfort. The tuner might be more tired at the end of the day when using a shorter lever, as a result of having to apply more force with every movement, so going with too short a lever can be problematic.
Note on Head Angles
There is often confusion about head angles and "flagpole forces."
When you apply force to the handle (input) of a typical tuning lever, that force is converted into two different torques at the tuning pin (output). The first torque is the rotational torque that turns the pin, which is what we want. The other torque is the perpendicular flagpole torque that tries to lean or bend the pin. This undesirable flagpole torque results the lever's handle being in a plane of applied force that is a few inches above where the pin is being rotated, down at the plate.
As the lever's handle gets further the plate, more of the applied force gets converted to unwanted flagpole torque instead of rotational torque. This has caused many technicians to conclude that 5 or 10 degree lever is better than a 12 or 15 degree lever, but there is a problem with that conclusion: The lower angle lever will have more clearance issues, which is often compensated for by using tip extensions or longer tips. Lengthening the tip elevates the lever back up to where it would be if you had used a 12 or 15 degree lever in the first place, which not only negates any reduction in flagpole torque, but makes the lever heavier and less rigid.
With the above issues understood, it makes sense why a Kestrel with a 20mm tuning tip is particularly enjoyable to tune with, because mass and flagpole torque are both reduced. But clearance issues make it harder or impossible to use a 20mm tip on some pianos.
* Total weight for an 11" lever (with tuning tip installed) typically ranges from 4.8 to 5.2 ounces, depending on tuning tip length. Levers with wood handles weigh slightly more, depending on the shape, size, and density of the wood species.