<HTML><HEAD> <META charset=US-ASCII http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"> <DIV> <DIV>Greetings,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>          The bass bridge has vry small hairline splits at the bridge pins. The tuning pins are starting to get a little loose. If I dope the block,  this will cause further stress on the already splitting bass bridge. So I figure that the dope job will buy a few years, however, eventually, if they want to keep it in playing condition, it will need a new bass bridge as well as bass strings and a pinblock when/if they decide to go that far. The sound board is nice and echoey when I knock on it, however this may go too by that time. I told them to keep it away from drafty air returns and heat sources. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>          Thanks for the info. I had not known that these Ernst Kaps pianos were any thing special...seems they are. By the looks of this one they are a unique item. I now have a better idea on what to tell this customer.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>THanks,</DIV> <DIV>Julia Gottshall</DIV> <DIV>Reading, PA  </DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 8/22/2006 6:15:58 PM Eastern Standard Time, JD@Pianomaker.co.uk writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT face=Arial>Why would it need a new bass bridge?</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>