<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><BR><DIV><DIV>On Dec 9, 2006, at 1:47 PM, Ron Nossaman wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Helvetica">The hard fact is that a very real number of these diamonds in the rough can't be polished to gem quality with field prep, and there are people out there that can tell the difference. <BR></FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE>This is correct, Ron. We "straighten out" between 2 and 4 new Steinway actions a year---moving capstans, modifying wippen heels, changing stack height, repinning, to the tune of $2-5K per job.<BR><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Helvetica">All it takes is one time with a killer octave that can't be made to produce what the owner wants and hears in another piano of the same make and model, to blow you out of the water. A positive attitude in the face of a negative reality you both recognize just makes you look like a dork and doesn't do much for trust.</FONT></P> </BLOCKQUOTE>That's right, and I'm not talking about being Pollyanna, I'm talking about telling the truth without the emotion and judgement attached, which is hard. My comments about positivity should not be misconstrued to mean I advocate some kind of "feeling my happy place" state of denial if a real, thorny issue like board quality rears its head. And I know your customers feel taken care of, brother---I was speaking, I imagined, to less august and legendary dudes than your bad self. <BR></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>DA</DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>