<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2912" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><EM>"...a hardwood belly bar would be considerably easier to work with than Steinway's under built spruce one."</EM></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>You mean something like this? 1890s Knabe - 6" x 8" solid white ash - hard as iron monster belly rail - nothing wimpy here.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I didn't feel the need for any additional belly reinforcement on this one!  ;-)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><IMG alt="" hspace=0 src="cid:008c01c69d6e$d8bc99c0$0201a8c0@DESKTOP" align=baseline border=0></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>SNIP<BR>>> Can you say that a particular aspect (probably one<BR>>> that is unchangeable) of a piano is the most<BR>>> determining factor in how well a rebuild will turn<BR>>> out? Rim quality?  <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> Rim and plate, for starters, and a hardwood belly bar would be <BR>> considerably easier to work with than Steinway's under built <BR>> spruce one. Then again, I'd love to get my hands on a 6-7 foot <BR>> Yamaha (contract job) to see what I could do with a too soft <BR>> "Select Hardwood" rim. I think it's quite doable.<BR>> Ron N</FONT></BODY></HTML>