<HTML>I recently was attended one of the Steinway factory se= minars and this issue came up quite often. According to Eric Schandal the fr= ont rail area of the keybed is flat accept for the extreme left and right ar= eas which is tapered down. This concept was designed to add pressure to the = end glides, which in turns helps lifts the middle area of the keyboard push = upwards. The bottom line is to create a counter pressure against the weight = of the keyboard allowing for an easier shift. The back rail area of the keybed is completely flat. However, the center cav= ity is sculpted downwards. Also noted was that the 3 main panels are free floating and are not glued. <= BR> Tom Servinsky</HTML>