<HTML>In a message dated 1/5/02 2:18:39 PM Central Standard Time, JIMRPT@AOL.COM writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Of course the fly in the ointment is the break, notably the C & B plain wire notes..........no new news there huh? :-( I have discussed the problem with my customer at length and told him of the mixed results I have had with the bi-chord modifications...................... My request is that some of you'ns what am done this modification share your thoughts on the outcomes of your jobs and whether you think it was worthwhile doing.</BLOCKQUOTE> I don't see any downside to the retrofit of bichords in the low tenor at all.  I have a Piano Teacher customer who complained of both poor tone and very poor tuning stability in her otherwise very nice grand piano.  I told her frankly what the problem was.  I really didn't think Yamaha would be of much help but I contacted the company anyway and to my surprise, the solution for the problem was exactly what I had in mind. At the time, which is now many years ago, so long ago, I don't really remember which year it was, I was offered a retrofit kit of 12 strings for 6 bichords, six retrofit agraffes and six retrofit hitch pins.  I did the work, it solved the problem as I expected it would and the customer has been content with the piano ever since.  It has a humidity control system which keeps it well enough in tune that she has it tuned only once a year in July. In summation, the retrofit solved both a tone and tuning stability problem.  As I understand it, only a longer bass bridge that would include those six notes of the low tenor might be a better scale design.  The customer is happy and as far as I am concerned, the piano has good, normal tone and exceptional tuning stability.  Neither the customer nor I have anything negative to say about the change made to the piano at all. Bill Bremmer RPT Madison, Wisconsin <A HREF="http://www.billbremmer.com/">Click here: -=w w w . b i l l b r e m m e r . c o m =-</A> </HTML>