<HTML>In a message dated 9/6/2003 1= :47:16 PM Pacific Daylight Time, donmannino@comcast.net writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT= : 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Subj: Re: Steinway M Date: 9/6/2003 1:47:16 PM Pacific Daylight Time From: <A HREF="mailto:donmannino@comcast.net">donmannino@comcast.net</A><= /FONT> Reply-to: <A HREF="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>= To: <A HREF="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> Sent from the Internet </BLOCKQUOTE>    &nbs= p;        Don              Excellent= advice with a balanced opinion, Well said. I've fallen in that one myself.<= BR>              Dal= e <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT= : 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px"> Tom, I would advise that you not comment to your client on the design of the pian= o, but stick to what your client wants - an evaluation of the instrument its= elf, the condition, and whether it seems to be priced properly. There are lots and lots of opinions expressed here and other places about wh= at is good or bad in a piano design, but all of these are really meaningless= when it comes to personal choice in a piano.  I have played and rebuil= t many Steinway Ms, and have had good and bad ones just like any other model= .  I am not a fan of "compression crowning" of soundboards, but how man= y fantastic pianos have been made with this system in mind? The temptation is to feel the need to direct the client towards a piano that= is your choice.  If the client calls and asks for that advice, then yo= u should give it of course.  When evaluating an instrument for someone,= though, it will keep things simpler for you and your client if you stick to= evaluating that instrument, and not editorializing too much. Don Mannino RPT </BLOCKQUOTE> </HTML>