<html> <body> Hi Lance, Ethical? Hard to say. The piano manufacturer has problems more complex than any of us experience in our day-to-day operations. The piano dealer, however, might have given you a second shot at the repair. A better solution than the dealer tech's might have been to raise the aliquot by taking some judicious measurements (i.e., eyeballing it, or using feeler gauges if you have them), lowering string tension, removing the aliquot, supergluing on a super thin brass shim, replacing aliquot, pulling up to pitch. Could give you just the extra contact needed and still allow for bearing and "ring." A darn sight less-expensive than another $28000 piano. Pianos are picky beasts. Regards, Mary Smith At 08:28 AM 11/17/2004 -0600, you wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>I wa= s recently called out to a 7grand with a buzz.  Names and brand will be withheld to reduce my stress level.  It turned out to be the back duplex.  There was so little bearing at the aliquot that the strings could be moved back and fourth with a finger nail.  After much searching, I finally found, (and a local tech who works on these a lot suggested/confirmed) that when the humidity went up, the strings touching the aliquot were raised enough to buzz (at center of piano, around F3).  I called the factory and the tech said, sounds like a bearing problem, plate position problem, etc.  Send it back, well send another.  I did.  Then, when the 2nd piano came in, it had the same bearing problem, so I stopped, did not prep, just called the factory.  The dealer then called a second tech out who threaded a strip of felt through the back duplex to prevent any ringing at all.  What effect does this have on the sound, etc.  I figure, if it was designed to ring, it should.  Was this a good solution and an ethical handling of the customer, who paid around $28,000?  Thanks.    Lance Lafargue, RPT LAFARGUE PIANOS New Orleans Chapter, PTG 985.72P.IANO <a= href="mailto:llafargue@charter.net">llafargue@charter.net</a> <a href="http://www.lafarguepianos.com/"= eudora="autourl">www.lafarguepianos.com</a>    </blockquote></body> </html>