<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><BR><DIV><DIV>On Mar 16, 2006, at 12:51 PM, <A href="mailto:Wimblees@aol.com">Wimblees@aol.com</A> wrote:</DIV><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><FONT id="role_document" face="Arial" color="#000000" size="2"><DIV style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; ">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. <BR></SPAN></DIV></FONT></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I'd expect that for large case panels.</DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><FONT id="role_document" face="Arial" color="#000000" size="2"><DIV style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; ">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?</SPAN></DIV></FONT></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>No mention of a back order on the strings. I was enquiring about bass strings and damper felts (w. barrels) for both U1s, and the only thing not in stock was a 2d damper head set. I'd actually expect Yamaha USA to keep up an inventory of bass string sets.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Let's not forget that ten years ago, one could get shanks&hammers ("pre-hangs") for ~$350, which was roughly 40% less than Steinway's price for pre-hangs.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV></DIV><DIV>william ballard<BR></DIV><DIV><A href="mailto:wbps@vermontel.net">wbps@vermontel.net</A></DIV><BR><DIV> <SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">"Lydia thinks she knows everything, and Lyle thinks he owns the place"</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> ...........The outgoing staff technician to the new guy, concerning the resident artiste/pianist and the Chief Custodian</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">+++++++++++++++++++++</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN> </DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>