<HTML>In a message dated 8/28/2003 = 5:49:18 AM Pacific Daylight Time, yardbird@vermontel.net writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT= : 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Correct me. I have a customer with a 2-year-old Petroff gra= nd, which at one year had serious compressions ridges, a separation between board and ribs, and a crack (closed during summer humidity) at the location of the separation. Both the dealer and the company regional rep downplayed the effectiveness of the Dampp-Chaser system, which the owner had in the Yamaha vertical traded in for the grand. Bill Ballard RPT NH Chapter, P.T.G. </BLOCKQUOTE>        Bill Although I like the sound very much and general quality in the Petrof I hav= e noticed significant compression ridging in all the one I've seen on dealer= floors and homes. I'd venture it had the ridges before it hit the clients f= loor.     I've used the same spruce panels as Petrof  and foun= d it to be a very brittle wood. Or at least it was the spruce Geneva interna= tional sold as Petrof European stock. Of all the spruces I've worked with I = least liked this variety. It would split and crack along the glue joints wit= h out much encouragement. Or elsewhere.     Obviously the panels are being dried to much for many par= ts of the USA (all Parts) The dealer needs to get his head out of the sand a= s to the damp-chaser isssue. I mean get real Dude.    Dale Erwin</HTML>