<HTML style="FONT-SIZE: medium; FONT-FAMILY: AGaramond Bold"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=windows-1251"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1522" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <P> <DIV>Acker said: "<FONT size=+0>Very early grand pianos, i.e. before 1800, of which I have some here, can go up to 28.5 in the extreme bass, but no wound strings."</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>AND, they used Brass Wire. AND, they "spiral wound" Bass strings. AND, they ran the wrap the full length of the string, (across the bridges and over terminations at the tuning pin end. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>So, what's your point? I have a "collector" that has me take care of his stuff. They run the gamut of strange stuff. None of which makes a modern piano. Let's face it, the piano is the classic example of "seat-of-the-pants engineering". Has that changed? I don't think so. With guys like the two Rons and Del and whole bunch of others, the "designing" continues.<G></FONT></DIV> <DIV>Regards,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Joe Garrett, R.P.T. (Oregon)</DIV> <DIV>Captain, Tool Police</DIV> <DIV>Squares R I</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <P></P></BODY></HTML>