<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=windows-1252"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1276" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hello List et al</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'll just repeat something I put on the = list some time ago. I regularly tune a Harpsichord with NEGATIVE downbearing. Only = the opposing angles of the bridge pins keeping the strings in contact with = the bridge. I used regularly to find the strings floating above the bridge = until I determined the reason and simply pulled the pins out a little. But note, = my friends, this negative down-bearing made no discernible difference to = the quality of the sound. But that's a Harpsichord. Any reason for thinking = that NO downbearing ( note "NO" not "NEGATIVE" ) would make all that difference = in a piano?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have no flame suit</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'm just geared up in a space suit = ready for that promised trip to Mars.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Regards from a beautifully clear-blue = sky'd Sussex Downland Village. Yeee  Ha!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Michael G = (UK)</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>