<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)"> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/>  <style>  </style>  </head> <body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=blue style='WORD-WRAP: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space;-webkit-line-break: after-white-space'> <div class=Section1> Fenton,<o:p></o:p>             And I was hoping that the pictures would take you to a far off wonderful place! <G><o:p></o:p>                         Kidding aside—A year or so ago the <st1:City w:st="on">Boston</st1:City> chapter sponsored one of Del‘s presentations on piano design and among many topics <o:p></o:p>             he spoke about some of these older manufacturers such as Mehlin ,and Chickering where innovation was part of the culture.<o:p></o:p>             I’m not a designer but have a new appreciation for the efforts made by these old houses.<o:p></o:p>             .<o:p></o:p>             To be sure some of these ideas failed ---–Have you seen the Crownulator?----- and quirkiness alone ---Kranich and Bach ----will make me run in the opposite direction  but this old Mehlin with those ribs tapered in the middle and floating board got my attention.<o:p></o:p>             I have a dealer friend of mine who carries various flavors of pianos from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region></st1:place> and I can’t tell one from another without looking at the fallboard.<o:p></o:p> I realize that the bottom line has driven the industry to <st1:place w:st="on">Asia</st1:place>, and R and D everywhere is essentially nonexistent.  Case in point is the “innovation” of bringing back a design from the 19th century with associated trumpets blaring this great event <o:p></o:p> The good news here is that the small shops –Del, the Ron’s ,Dale ,Jude and others are where the “action “ still lives in my opinion.<o:p></o:p> The <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Rochester</st1:place></st1:City> gallery was proof enough <o:p></o:p>             Tom—looking for the next goofy piano---Driscoll <o:p></o:p>                         <o:p></o:p>             <o:p></o:p> <div> Subject: Re: [Files] Mehlin grand 1935<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div> Tom,<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Your pictures take me nowhere, but I'm here to say I'm a fan of many old Mehlin pianos. I had an old upright years ago that I finally sold for 3500, beautiful cabinet and a fantastic piano. I have a client with a 6' grand from the teens that needs rebuilding, a wonderful instrument.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Fenton<o:p></o:p> </div> <blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt; margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt'> <div> Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2008 5:02 PM<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Subject: [Files] Mehlin grand 1935<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <o:p> </o:p> </div> <span style='orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px;-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0;word-spacing:0px'> <div bgcolor="#ffffff"> <div> <o:p> </o:p> </div> </div> </blockquote> </div> </body> </html>