<HTML><HEAD> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2802" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="BORDER-TOP-STYLE: none; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: none; BORDER= -LEFT-STYLE: none; BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: none"> Thump's not going to = like that...;-] David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, California <= BR> <DIV style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5p= x; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 3px solid; PADDING-TOP: 5px"> <HR> Original message From: "Alan Barnard" <TUNE4U@EARTHLINK.NET> To: = Pianotech <PIANOTECH@PTG.ORG> Received: 2/28/2006 11:09:58 AM Sub= ject: Re: Anything wrong with finishing keysticks? Ah, well. As a heavy carnivore concerned= about the environment and preserving scarce tropical woods, I have fou= nd the ideal solution to the problem, one that is all organic and beaut= ifully natural: I eat with my fingers before playing the piano! That wa= y the animal grease protects the wood from my highly destructive sweat = ... and makes it real shiny, too. Alan Barnard Salem, Missour= i > Dear Terry, >      = I agree with you that natural ebony is gorgeous. > It is NOT howe= ver, impervious to the acidic sweats and > salts in fingers, not = to mention boogers, various > bodily fluids, etc..  Some peo= ple ( especially heavy > carnivores, as a matter of fact) have RE= ALLY > destructive sweat, and I've seen plenty of pianos > = where the sharps, and sides of naturals, for that > matter, are q= uite literally melted away. I might leave > the sharps unfinished= on my ! own piano, as I wash my > hands every time I use it. But= for the general > "hoi-poloi"? Nope. Bad idea, unless you enjoy= > depleting rare wood species. >    &n= bsp; Thump >  </DIV></BODY></HTML>