<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD><META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"></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><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV><STRONG><EM></EM></STRONG></DIV><STRONG><EM> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 13px Arial" face=Arial><FONT class=Apple-style-span size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px"> </SPAN></FONT><B><I><FONT class=Apple-style-span size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px"> Hey, Belly-heads---</SPAN></FONT></I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 13px Arial" face=Arial><B><I><FONT class=Apple-style-span size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px">  I am the grateful & happy recipient of a fresh stack of old growth Sitka spruce soundboard planks from the Pacific Northwest. This past  December I placed an order with the venerable & collegial Frank Johnson of <FONT size=4> "Northwest specialty woods"</FONT> in Elma Washington. Frank a real lumber master.  From now on he should be known as "Mr. Wood" because he seems to knows everything about wood & has been in the soundboard wood business for 48 years, starting with the Posey company in 1960---a most affable & earnestly helpful man.</SPAN></FONT></I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 13px Arial" face=Arial><B><I><FONT class=Apple-style-span size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px">  So---when he told me they were logging old growth Sitka spruce lumber from a nearby Indian reservation---and---- Mr Wood said it was the nicest, most consistent lumber he had EVER seen in 48 years...I figured it was important to listen carefully to his sage advice.  They have a limited supply, and after the reservation wood is gone....it's gone. I hope to buy a lifetime supply.</SPAN></FONT></I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 13px Arial" face=Arial><B><I><FONT class=Apple-style-span size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px">  I had seen the lumber they provide for Steinway In Hamburg and New York....and it...was...</SPAN></FONT></I></B></FONT><FONT style="FONT: 18px Arial" face=Arial><B><I><FONT class=Apple-style-span size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px">beautiful.</SPAN></FONT></I></B></FONT><FONT style="FONT: 13px Arial" face=Arial><B><I><FONT class=Apple-style-span size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px">  I asked Frank if he could give me perfect wood &  He says, "no problem".</SPAN></FONT></I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 13px Arial" face=Arial><B><I><FONT class=Apple-style-span size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px">  I stated that I wanted perfectly quarter-sawn wood, 14 to 20 grains per inch, cut from the same cant if possible for ease in color matching. The planks came planed to 7/16 inch. The Planks are 4 to 7 inches wide and 6 to 12 feet long.</SPAN></FONT></I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 13px Arial" face=Arial><B><I><FONT class=Apple-style-span size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px">  </SPAN></FONT></I></B><U><B><FONT class=Apple-style-span size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px">Mr. Wood</SPAN></FONT></B></U><B><I><FONT class=Apple-style-span size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px"> did not disappoint. I think all the wood I received is close enough in color to match without difficulty. It's a nice, creamy shade with a lot of medullary ray showing.</SPAN></FONT></I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 13px Arial" face=Arial><B><I><FONT class=Apple-style-span size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px">  These guys sell planks, kits or boards. It's an expensive product but it's gorgeous wood. It's nice to find a supply of anything that lives up to its billing. These beautiful Sitka planks certainly do. CHeck out there web site at  ....www. North west Specialty Woods.com</SPAN></FONT></I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 13px Arial" face=Arial><B><I><FONT class=Apple-style-span size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px">  Sincerely,</SPAN></FONT></I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 13px Arial" face=Arial><B><I><FONT class=Apple-style-span size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px">  Dale Erwin</SPAN></FONT></I></B></FONT></DIV></EM></STRONG></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"> <DIV><STRONG><EM></EM></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM></EM></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM><IMG SRC="cid:X.MA5.1203002217@aol.com" style="WIDTH: 480px; HEIGHT: 360px" height=360 width=480 vspace=5 comp_state="speed" DATASIZE="35891" ID="MA5.1203002217" ></EM></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM>  Below are the planks being laid out for the Soundboard panel for the Steinway B going to the Anaheim Convention Rebuilders Gallery.</EM></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM>  If you look closely at the end shot, the end uniform grain is clearly visible</EM></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM></EM></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM></EM></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM></EM></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM></EM></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM><IMG SRC="cid:X.MA6.1203002217@aol.com" style="WIDTH: 480px; HEIGHT: 360px" height=360 width=480 vspace=5 comp_state="speed" DATASIZE="34597" ID="MA6.1203002217" ><IMG SRC="cid:X.MA7.1203002217@aol.com" style="WIDTH: 480px; HEIGHT: 360px" height=360 width=480 vspace=5 comp_state="speed" DATASIZE="31091" ID="MA7.1203002217" ><IMG SRC="cid:X.MA8.1203002217@aol.com" style="WIDTH: 480px; HEIGHT: 360px" height=360 width=480 vspace=5 comp_state="speed" DATASIZE="26594" ID="MA8.1203002217" ></EM></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM>  <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT lang=0 face="Book Antiqua" size=2 FAMILY="SERIF" PTSIZE="10"><B><I></I>Dale Erwin--Piano Restorations<BR>4721 Parker rd<BR>Modesto, Ca. 95357<BR>Shop 209-577-8397<BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 face="Abadi MT Condensed" color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"></FONT><FONT lang=0 face="Abadi MT Condensed" color=#000000 size=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="12">Web site <A title=http://www.erwinspiano.com/ href="http://www.erwinspiano.com/">http://www.Erwinspiano.com</A></FONT><FONT lang=0 face="Abadi MT Condensed" color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"> </FONT><FONT lang=0 face="Book Antiqua" color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SERIF" PTSIZE="10"><I><BR>Restoration & Sales of<BR>Steinway & Sons & other fine pianos.<BR>" Soundboards by Design"</I><BR></B></FONT></DIV></EM></STRONG></DIV></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">The year's hottest artists on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards. <A title="http://music.aol.com/grammys?NCID=aolcmp00300000002565" href="http://music.aol.com/grammys?NCID=aolcmp00300000002565" target="_blank">AOL Music takes you there.</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>