<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" = http-equiv=Content-Type> <META content="MSHTML 5.00.3700.6699" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hello John,</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I appreciate your concern about the = plate cracks. I had that happen to me about 15 years ago as I was chipping/pitching up a = piano. I got this piano for a song (about 1,300 USD worth from what you would = call an estate liquidation in the US. </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I am doing it for myself as it is = identical to the piano my father played when I was a small child. These pianos have such = a sweet mellow sound and the action is wonderful. I can;t play fast enough to = appreciate the repetition drawbacks, but I sure can appreciate the feel and, = especially, the control. Yes, I am a sentimental type.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>All this to say that I do not stand to = lose a small fortune on it, but just to make sure, I am going to investigate matters = at once. Will keep you posted.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks for your input,</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Peace</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jean-Jacques Granas </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Warsaw, = Poland</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>