<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 6.00.2900.2627" 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> <DIV><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Since many fine soldiers in or near combat zones are now woman, an army contractor has been secretly developing an amazing new use for cast iron: <EM>Armored brassieres!</EM></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Yes, it's true (I'm winkin' here but you can't see it.)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Anyway, I'm sure you've already heard Bob Hope singing their promotional jingle, "Tanks for the Mammaries."</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>On a less serious note, and a piano note, at that, (That <EM>what?</EM> you may well ask, well don't ....)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>There sure were some pianos from that era, the Geo Steck "Crown," for example, that just flat-out LOOKED like quality, even from the back. I think this piano is perhaps in that league. Nowadays, there are some pianos that look real pretty from the front, but the back and the insides scream CHEAP. Some of the early Pearl uprights had handles in the back that I swear were just pieces chopped from a broomstick! Compare that to the fancy, heavy, lathe-carved handles of a hundred years ago...</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>And don't get me started about the decline in the quality of hardware, especially screws and hinges .... Oh, rats, I got going there without your help. Always been a self starter. I carry around a little pistol loaded with blanks; starts my day with a bang. Okay, I'll stop, don't throw those tomatos. Or at least empty them out of the can ...</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Alan Barnard</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Salem, Missouri</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>(Hope I didn't cross any lines, there. Don't nobody take no offense please, it was just a sick, sick (sic) pun.)</FONT></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=Erwinspiano@aol.com href="mailto:Erwinspiano@aol.com"></A></DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To: </B><A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A></DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> 05/16/2005 8:44:13 PM </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Files] Fw: Cast Iron Back Frame</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT size=2><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV>   Hi John</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV>   Thanks </DIV> <DIV>  a gorgeous piano. What a tank. Piano movers please></DIV> <DIV>    Dale</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> <DIV>John M. Ross<BR>Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada<BR><A title=mailto:jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca href="mailto:jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca">jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca</A></DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>Hi,</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>I ran accross an interesting piano, the other day. It had a cast backframe.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>It was a Bell piano, manufactured in Canada. Bell made some nice sounding pianos, in the earlier part of the century.</FONT></STRONG></DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV></FONT></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>