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<DIV>Hello all.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Curious matter, those typical Bechstein plate cracks. Those happen
mainly on model A (183 cm) and B and V (both 200 cm); never seen this on other
models.</DIV>
<DIV>The strange is : this doesn't affect at all the integrity of the structure
of the piano.</DIV>
<DIV>While I've seen plenty of Bechstein pianos with cracked plate, I've never
seen a plate falling apart yet.</DIV>
<DIV>I believe those cracks were a result of the internal tensions of cast iron
cooling down, right out of the factory.</DIV>
<DIV>Those cracks can be there for one hundred years, yet no problem.</DIV>
<DIV>If those cracks were due to exessive string tension, when the crack
appears, the plate would be even weaker, and the crack would very rapidly
develop into a plate failure. Never seen this.</DIV>
<DIV>For me, the only problem with those cracks is that no customer aware of it
would buy a piano with such a crack in the plate. No matter how long you
explain about.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Get yourself a horizontal screw driver. Enjoy german
engeneering.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Best regards.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Stéphane Collin.</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=JWyatt1492@aol.com
href="mailto:JWyatt1492@aol.com">JWyatt1492@aol.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000
size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>The plate
is bad about </DIV>
<DIV>breaking on old Bechsteins, especially </DIV>
<DIV>near the
pins, </DIV>
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