<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16414" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Howdy,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I tuned this 1940 Steinway B today and noticed that there were many "dots" in the tuning pin section.  Would I be correct in assuming that these would be made by a stringing tool to correctly measure how far the tuning pins got driven in?  The owner told me the piano was all original, at least that is what she was told when she bought it from a dealer.  Are these marks something that would be seen from factory work back then?--not that the marks would've been seen originally, but the damage showing up as the piano aged.   How embarrassing that I left the tool case at home that had some <vital> tools in it, like my calipers, so I couldn't measure the size of the pin.  OK, I'll blame today's brainlessness on just getting back from vacation...  Anyway, I'm trying to guess if the piano has been restrung (sometime ago, perhaps). </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>When did Steinway use the strips of red felt over the hammer rest felts?</FONT> <FONT face=Arial size=2> Would that be consistent with a piano from 1940?  </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>The action on the piano has nary any verdigris, though it weighs off with a bit more friction than desirable, and there not much wear on the hammers--sort of amazing. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks,</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Barbara Richmond, RPT</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>near Peoria, Illinois</FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>