<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2802" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 3/16/2006 10:20:23 AM Central Standard Time, wbps@vermontel.net writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>One curious detail came up during the estimating of repairs on these  <BR>two sprinkled-on U1s. I was quoted by Yamaha $511 per set of  <BR>replacement bass strings. (I made a quick call to the local Yamaha  <BR>dealer who said that sounded right.)<BR><BR>This 52-string set duplicated by Mapes would be $223. Steinway's  <BR>replacement set for either 1098 or K52 is $167. I know that with  <BR>Yahama strings the lengths are so well-calculated that they can go  <BR>right on the tuning pin with no trimming to length, and presumably  <BR>their accuracy for a scale of their own should be far above anyone  <BR>else's copy of this set. BUT....what else am I getting for the extra  <BR>$300-350?<BR><BR>Bill Ballard RPT<BR>NH Chapter, P.T.G.<BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV>About 20 years ago I bought a U1 that fell off a truck. It needed several case parts. Not only did those parts cost nearly three times as much as comparable parts from Baldwin and Steinway, it took 6 months to get them. The main reason, I was told, was that they did not have them in stock, and the parts had to be special made at the factory in Japan. Maybe that is why the bass strings are so much more. They are special order, from Japan. Did they tell you how long it would take to get them?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Wim </DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>