<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><BR><DIV><DIV>On Dec 3, 2006, at 1:28 PM, David Love wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><FONT size="2" color="navy" face="Arial" id="role_document"><SPAN style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy; color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-size: 13.3333px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; ">The problem seems to be related to the backcheck material itself. When compared with a Renner backcheck simply by running your finger over the leather (or synthetic material that Steinway also uses) the noise difference is pronounced. </SPAN></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE><BR></DIV><DIV>I'm a little surprised there hasn't been more mention of this.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>My experience has been identical, except that the noisy material was used in knuckles in addition to backchecks, and was quite annoying.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I have been told at the Steinway dealer that the material has now been changed, and the noise problem is a thing of the past -- for future production and parts orders. And indeed, the last set of shanks & flanges I received had a different, quieter material than previous recent sets.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>So if you can manage to get some replacement parts, they may very well be improved.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Kent</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>