<HTML>In a message dated 4/4/03 12:03:34 PM Central Standard= Time, td_tuner@hotmail.com writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT= : 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Hi, Folks,   I had an intersting query, today.  I don't know that I have this= clear in my mind, so bear with me in the description.   The piano is labelled Thomas.  It has plastic parts in it and is= probably about 20 years old.  The owner says he thought it was Irish-made had be= en handled by a company in California.   It sounds like a direct blow action of some sort in a small piano cas= e.  Anyway, the owner says that there are "plastic pegs" in the back of the key,= underneath.  These go into some type of aluminum channel.  He beli= eves that they help in maintaining key operations, because without them the key just <= BR> stays down and doesn't return to position after playing.  Some of these= "pegs" are broken and he is looking for replacements.   As I said, I'm not too clear from his description.  The piano is= over an hour away, otherwise I'd go look at it just for my own curiosity.   From this scanty description could some one shed more light on this f= or me?   Any ideas about the piano would be welcomed. Thanks in advance! Tom Dickson, Regina, SK Professional Piano Tuning and Repair </BLOCKQUOTE> Tom This sounds like a Lindner piano, made in Ireland. I don't believe they are = in business anymore. (Lindner was owned by the Rippen Piano Co. in Holland.)= I didn't know they made pianos under another name. I had one of those, and sold the parts to Debra Legg, in Florida. (DLLegg@ao= l.com) You might ask if she still has any parts left over. But even if she does, this piano is one that should never have been made in = the first place. Except for the hammer shanks and the hammers, the entire ac= tion, including the keys, is made out of plastic. And, as you described, the= keys have metal springs that fit into an aluminum rail. These little spring= s also break. It might be a fun instrument to experiment on, but I would dri= ve an hour to do so. Wim Blees </HTML>