<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16441" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV> <DIV> <STRONG><EM> HI Ed</EM></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM>  Yeah baby, I get it, ba ba ba but when the strings are off & you run a string from agraffe to bridge & see the gap between string and touch down point ...there is  a mile of deflection ,the likes of which I have <FONT size=4>NEVER</FONT>  <FONT size=4>seen...</FONT> it DOES...gives one pause.  You know?</EM></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM>  My motto, If it ain't broke, don't fix it applies but ...............WOW!!. I should have taken pictures.  Ok I will when it gets back from the finisher & we'll collectively extrapolate the bearing numbers & ALL be amazed. </EM></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM>  What I was considering is just raising the bolts  a little bit & call it good. A BTW, a new board isn't even in the equation.</EM></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM>  Yes giddy is a good word Ed. And Grateful</EM></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM>  Thanks for the post</EM></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM>  Dale</EM></STRONG></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2><EM>Dale writes:<BR><BR><<   SO what would you all do? Hmm  Leave it set up this  way or change it. <BR>The <BR>plate sits on bolts as it's  supports so  plate height is easy to change.<BR>  Please weigh in & I'll tell you what I  think. >><BR><BR><U><STRONG>     I would take a moment to feel gratitude that such an excellent, and <BR>proven, sounding structure has come my way, and with a "pristine belly" I must be <BR>pardoned for a moment of giddiness at the thought.</STRONG></U>     <BR>      What would I do?  I would set about making as little change to the <BR>pressures, entrainments, dimensions, etc.  as possible, while still installing new <BR>strings, felts, and maybe even a pinblock.  If that belly and downbearing are <BR>working so well, how likely is it that whatever improvment could be made <BR>would justify the major expense of a new board.  Aside from the possibility of <BR>making a lesser board,(it could happen),  a new board will take a year or two to <BR>settle into its longer term "sound".  This "pristine belly" is ready to go, <BR>right now.  Get the strings in on cleaned up bridges and you will know what you <BR>have, right now.  <BR>     The definition of "character" is like one judge's definition of porn, "I <BR>can't define it, but I know it when I see it".  I think Dale was describing a <BR>particular tonal 'character' in this piano, and I say, "Save it!"  Put a <BR>great action and a nice set of hammers under fresh strings on it, and see what the <BR>piano has to say.<BR><BR>    Or, another way to say it, "Do we trust our minds, or do we trust our <BR>ears?"  So what if the numbers don't agree with expectations,  listening to the <BR>response of the piano will tell us all we need to know if we let it. <BR><BR>Regards, <BR><BR>Ed Foote RPT <BR>http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html<BR>www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html</EM><BR><BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR>See what's free at </FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">See what's free at <A title="http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503" href="http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503" target="_blank">AOL.com</A>. </FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>