Steinway legs

[A440A@aol.com]

<<   Question is, is it likely that the
plate of a replacement will match the plate of the original, not to
mention the height, thickness, screw hole position or anything else that
might cause me to have to do more than just put it on. >>

Greetings, 
   I doubt that the new leg will come with plates installed, so you may as 
well plan on installing the old plates, if serviceable. 
     I had always considered the plates to be mated and interchangibility was 
not to be expected.  However,  I once bought a piano that had lost the lyre, 
music rack, and legs.  I happened to have bought another Steinway that had had 
the case burned through(I wanted the action), and when I tried to put the 
legs on my first one, two of them fit nice and snug, square, too.  The third I 
had to change the leg plates before it would fit.  
   The pedals went right on, and the action fit the first piano within 1/16" 
in all dimensions!  (now I have a 1915 model O with two interchangeable 
actions that require nothing more than the cheek-block screws to be removed to swap 
them.  One has soft hammers, the other has bright ones...) 
REgards,  
Ed Foote RPT 
http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html