<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:o = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1 = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2604" name=GENERATOR><o:SmartTagType = name="PostalCode" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagT= ype><o:SmartTagType name="PlaceType" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagT= ype><o:SmartTagType name="PlaceName" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagT= ype><o:SmartTagType name="State" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagT= ype><o:SmartTagType name="City" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagT= ype><o:SmartTagType name="country-region" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagT= ype><o:SmartTagType name="place" = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" downloadurl="http://www.5iantlavalamp.com/"></o:SmartTagType> <STYLE>  </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY lang=EN-US vLink=purple link=blue> <DIV dir=ltr align=left> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000080 2px = solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left> <HR tabIndex=-1> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Porritt, David Sent: April 05, 2005 9:04 AM To: Pianotech Subject: April Journal </DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV class=Section1> Did anybody else notice in the NAMM review = in this months Journal that there were new pianos from the European and Asian manufacturers yet the “new” offerings from the American = manufactures were reintroductions of old pianos from the last century.  I’m = sure the Mason & Hamlin CC94 and the Steinway A are nice instruments, but have = all the piano scale designers all moved away?  Why is everyone else = looking forward and we’re (in the <st1:country-region = w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>) just looking = backwards?  I’m really mystified = here.<o:p></o:p></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE> <o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p>  <o:p>From = what I could see the newly reintroduced Steinway A is pretty much the same as what = has been built in Germany for some time so in this case your point is well taken.</o:p> <o:p></o:p>  <o:p>The = M&H CC, however, has been extensively redesigned. While not quite an entirely = new design -- it's obviously still a M&H -- there is a whole lot of new content = in there. It's several inches longer, it does have a new scale, etc.</o:p> <o:p></o:p>  <o:p>You = might also want to take another look at the new Model AA. This also is a mostly new = design with strong genetic ties to the original. But new model it is a better piano = in most every way.</o:p> <o:p></o:p>  <o:p>Any = company that is saddled with as strong a tradition as M&H must be extremely = careful how they mess with instruments that have become icons. From what I have = seen so far M&H has been quite successful at this. Let them be an example....</o:p> <o:p></o:p>  <o:p>Del</o:p><o:p> Delwin D Fandrich Piano Design & = Fabrication 512 Hanna Avenue Aberdeen, Washington 98520 USA Phone  360.532-2563 Fax  360.537-1262 <<A href="mailto:fandrich@pianobuilders.com">mailto:fandrich@pianobuilders.= com</A>> <<A href="http://www.pianobuilders.com/" target=_blank>http://www.pianobuilders.com</A>> </SPAN= ></o:p></BODY></HTML>