<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1141" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left>Wim said: " I = will start by taking exception to your list, Alan."  My comments = interspersed:  1. Lester "Betsy Ross" It's the plastic elbows that gave this little = spinet its bad name. Once the elbows have been replaced, they are not too bad.      Okay, I am going on my = somewhat limited experience with these little beauties. But they are still spinets. One = nice feature is that you can replace the elbows without taking out = the drop action.</DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left>  2. Any piano with the word = "Winter" in the name. Depends on which vintage. Some older Winters are OK. = But I agree that any Winter made between 1950 and 1970 should be used for = boat anchors. </DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left>    But aren't they pretty little cases?  I think many people in that era went to the store to = buy a piano and were dazzled by the furniture, = instead.  3. Most church "basement" or rec-room pianos. Again, watch your = generalization. Not all church basements or rec rooms are recipients of old worn out = uprights. Maybe I = should have specified country churches. In Dent County. And six surrounding = counties. Actually, the Licking (Stop Laughing!) Methodist Church has a vintage Wurlitzer upright that hasn't been tuned in years and only sounds = mildly horrible. It's missing many ivories but has one of the most beautiful cases I've seen. I'd love to see it restored. I'd bet it's sound = could blow away the Young Chang baby g in the chapel, which I do get to = tune every six months.</DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left>  4. PA Stark and similar = 60's spinets. Those are fighting words. My dad worked for Starck, = although only for a few years. He is welcome to all the Stark spinet business in my area = (fortunately, not that many). I've seen a big Stark that was "okay." </DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left> 5. Gulbransen spinets/consoles. I like Gully's They are stable, and = don't sound too bad. </DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left>Ah, yes. These are = the folks who put in plastic elbows, plastic wippen flanges, and plastic damper = flanges. For sentimental reasons, I was paid to replace 88 flanges, 60+ = damper flanges, and 88 elbows. Tune it every six months. Maybe I'm = missing something, but I've seated all the upper treble strings and that = sucker still howls like a cat in love. 6. Pianos = that have been underwater more than 6 decades Huh?  </DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left>A reference = to Babe Ruth and his ice follies.  7. Any piano with bass = string diameters exceeding, say, 1/2 inch <G> Like which one? I = don't think any bass string exceeds 3/8" </DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left>Ish hard to talg wif = ma tongue in ma cheek thish way. I was not attempting to make a = one-size-fits-all hate list, here, just having a little = fun!   Wim </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>