<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>David,</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>It would be easier to adopt your attitude if the only problems were in the actions.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><SPAN class="Apple-style-span">What of the soundboards that have forced the term "killer octave" into our vocabulary?</SPAN></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><SPAN class="Apple-style-span">How does one polish the "diamond in the rough" that looks more like a simple lump of coal?</SPAN></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><BR><DIV><DIV>On Dec 6, 2006, at 10:30 AM, David Andersen wrote:</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">The New York instruments' actions are a different story, ... </FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></FONT><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; "><DIV><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">...I accept it as how it is, an</FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#0000DD">d</FONT> perceive new and newish American Steinways as diamonds in the rough---ready to be polished and finished into something beautiful. And they can be; it just takes a little more money and attention. ...</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Not a deficit, but a possibility. This way of thinking and seeing has helped me to be less of a bitter old gossip, and more of a proactive artisan. My clients like it better, too---a positive spin rather than a negative, without lying to anyone. Half full, not half empty.</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>