<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Ed,<DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>You're talking about the newer NY pedal box here? Funny, I was thinking that the Hamburg setup looked easier to service, and perhaps more stable as well. Repairing the NY setup, I sure have had to replace a lot of those nylon bushings on the pedal pin to eliminate pedal play, which involves removing several (tricky to reinstall) screws, and of necessity removing all three pedals as a unit even if only one of them has a problem. I've always found that a bit overly engineered, myself. Am I the only one? </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>On the other hand, though, it is true that you have to take the Hamburg lyre off to work on the pedals, so maybe that's plenty good enough reason to prefer the NY style.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I'm hearing talk (I have NO idea whether it's true or not) that Steinway might consider merging the NY and Hamburg pianos in certain ways, eliminating some of the differences between the two. It makes for a pretty interesting thought experiment, to consider how a committee might be formed to make decisions on which parts would be chosen to be kept and which eliminated. If the idea was to try and decide things purely on merit and objectivity, it would be a tough assignment, wouldn't it? Given the inevitable difference of opinions, traditions, and (ultimately) cultures involved. </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>It's interesting, though, to imagine the kind of piano that might emerge from such a blending. In an ideal world it might be possible to take the best from each instrument and make it into an even better one. Some Solomonic judgements would be required, though ...how would you decide where to put the sostenuto mechanism, for instance? </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Sounds like another urban myth to me : )</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Speculatively,</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Allen Wright, RPT</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR><DIV><DIV>On 4 Mar 2007, at 17:07, <A href="mailto:A440A@aol.com">A440A@aol.com</A> wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Inre Hamburg/New York pianos, Allen writes:</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; "><< Another larger difference is in the lyre and pedals, <SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">which are completely different, without the locking plate and <SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">continuous pin. The list goes on and on.. >></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; "><SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>Just for the record, I love the Steinway pedal box set-up.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>I have never<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">seen another system that could be set up to be both as sensitive and trouble<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">free as possible, as well as easy to access and work on.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>I haven't seen any<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">other system that could survive the stage treatment encountered here at the<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">school.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>I carry a spare damper pedal in the tool kit because when the ones on<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">the stage get bent 1/4" or more lower than the others, I start to pay attention<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">to changing it.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>Shift pedals are durable, (there can be some crushing of the<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">keyframe contact point if it isn't reinforced.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>I have pieces of ebony<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">endgrain , inlet into the stage piano keyframes after the original wood was crushed<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">into pulp.)<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>I understand this venue is an extreme example, the point is, that<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">the pedal can simply be replaced in a system that is solid enough to justify<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">it as just another non-durable part.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>It is heavier than it needs to be, and<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">that is the way I like it. <SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Ed Foote RPT<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><A href="http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html">http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN><BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> AOL now offers free<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">email to everyone.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>Find out more about what's free from AOL at<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; 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