<br><br> <div class="gmail_quote">On Sun, Mar 16, 2008 at 8:11 AM, Steven Sandstrom <<a href="mailto:sandstromsw@hotmail.com">sandstromsw@hotmail.com</a>> wrote:<br> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid"> <div style="PADDING-LEFT: 10px; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; BORDER-TOP-STYLE: none; PADDING-TOP: 15px; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: none; BORDER-LEFT-STYLE: none; TEXT-DECORATION: none; BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: none" name="Compose message area"> <div>  Does anyone have any recommendations for pianos that will hold up in a school? The local public schools might be getting some new ones. In the past 15 years they have bought some Walter studios and some Boston studios. They have not held up well in the very dry to very humid conditions in the school buildings. Some of the schools have upgraded to geo-thermal systems. I don't like these at all. It is just as dry in the winter as before but now you have forced air drying things out more. I have always recommended the P22's but have not worked on any of the Chinese made ones. I know no piano will do very good under these conditions. The school district does a pretty good job of taking care of the pianos. Music programs are still important in the schools here. Price is always a concern. There are still some of the 40-50 year old Hamilton pianos that some teachers prefer over the newer stuff. Too bad they don't make them like those. Any suggestions will help.</div> <div> </div> <div> Thanks,  Steve Sandstrom</div></div></blockquote></div> <div><br>I couldn't agree more with the sentiments expressed about Dampp-Chasers, I do have different suggestion for a studio piano though.</div> <div>IMHO a Kawai UST-9 which has a composite action, styran & graphite, solves some of those everyday problems, loose flanges, etc. the keys, hammer shanks and sounding board/back structure are still wood but built every bit as well as any other piano mentioned.</div> <div> </div> <div>Mike <br clear="all"><br>-- <br>The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution.<br>- Bertrand Russell<br><br>Michael Magness<br>Magness Piano Service<br>608-786-4404<br> <a href="http://www.IFixPianos.com">www.IFixPianos.com</a><br>email <a href="mailto:mike@ifixpianos.com">mike@ifixpianos.com</a> </div>