<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Gregor,<DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Thanks for your very informative responses. That's really interesting, the history timeline on the website; including a much clearer picture of the factory! I presumed (after noticing that the last serial number listing in the Pierce Atlas was 1953) that the company must have made a brave effort after the war, and then been thwarted by the difficulties under Communist rule. The website history confirms this. </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I spent today meticulously cleaning the soundboard and plate, and making replacement hitch pin punchings and understring felt from Bechstein blue cloth. It's a nice coincidence that the piano is being rebuilt on it's 100th birthday. I'll be very interested to find out how it sounds with custom Abel hammers made for it.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Interesting and appropriate that Bluthner owns the name. It's a little hard to tell whether the new Irmlers are made in Germany or Asia, from the site. It always seems a little poignant to me when venerable old names like that, with long traditions, are taken over and used to sell pianos that have no relationship (structurally or aesthetically) to the originals (if these new ones are Asian-made, that is). Nothing against Asian pianos, mind you - but why not start a new tradition with a new name, like Pearl River and others?</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Are you still working in Europe (or the US, or elsewhere)?</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Best regards,</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><DIV>Allen Wright</DIV><DIV>London, UK</DIV></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR><DIV><DIV>On 20 Feb 2007, at 13:41, Gregor _ wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Irmler belongs to Blüthner now:</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><A href="http://www.bluthnerpiano.com/irmler.html">http://www.bluthnerpiano.com/irmler.html</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Gregor</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">_________________________________________________________________</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar - get it now! <A href="http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/">http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV> </BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><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><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN></DIV><DIV><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><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN> </DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>