<!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 5.00.2314.1000" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT size=2>Tony,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>This was probably the Saito action.  Mr Saito = developed several interesting variations on the upright action theme and one = of them was a relatively simple una corda system.  It consisted basically = of a separate rail holding the damper flanges with the dampers being actuated = by lift lever/wire mechanism similar to that found on the grand.  I briefly = examined a model a few years back and would like to have pursued it = further but the company I worked for at the time was not at all = interested.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>I'm not sure the Saito company is still in = business.  I recall that the guiding light of the company was the elderly gentleman I = was corresponding with who I think died not all that long later.  If it = is no longer around it is the piano industry's loss.  There are precious = few innovative thinkers actively working on the piano action -- grand or = upright -- we need all of them.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Somewhere in my records I probably have there = address from the 1980s.  If you <EM>really </EM>need it I can probably find it somewhere.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Del</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: = 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A href="mailto:caute@optusnet.com.au" = title=caute@optusnet.com.au>Tony Caught</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" title=pianotech@ptg.org>pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> June 03, 2000 1:28 = AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Upright Action</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV>Hi List</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I think it was Tokai, a Japanese piano that came out with a 'una = corda' system in their action in upright  that has the same function as = the grand piano, that is the hammers move sideways to hit less = strings.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If anyone has or knows where I can get a diagram of this system = it would be mushily appreciated.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Tony Caught ICPTG Australia<BR><A href="mailto:caute@optusnet.com.au">caute@optusnet.com.au</A></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>