<HTML style="FONT-SIZE: x-small; FONT-FAMILY: MS Sans Serif"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1400" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif">Here's the situation:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif"></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif">Belly bracing joints are coming apart and need to be reglued and doweled.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif">Some separation of the soundboard panel from the ribs.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif">A few cracks in the board.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif">Pin block (beech) has been shimmed and partially plugged.  Small crack in bass section.  Needs plugging or replacing, I think, as oversized pins don't tend to do to well in beech blocks.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif">Delamination of the bass bridge cap along about half its length.  Some delamination in the upper treble bridgecap as well.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif">Minimal but positive bearing, little or no crown in the panel.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif">Don't know how it sounded as I never heard it before.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif">Customer wants it functional for least cost.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif">She has had Christopher Ris, Frank Bettinger, John Callahan, me and you for opinions.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif"></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif">I think it needs a new board, new and reinforced belly bracing, new pinblock.  One could probably get by with less with no guarantees and lots of disclaimers (remember those plates can be pretty fragile).  The senior Ostrovsky doesn't think it needs a new board but he may be from a tradition that doesn't replace soundboards ever.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif"></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif">What do you think?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif"></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif"></FONT> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV>David Love</DIV> <DIV><A href="mailto:davidlovepianos@earthlink.net">davidlovepianos@earthlink.net</A></DIV> <DIV> </DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid"> </BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>