<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1170" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>List,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>About two months ago I serviced a "J. = Becker" stencil grand for a church.  I assumed it to be a Chinese import = because of the dealer's sticker (Westbrook), a local man (of "Grand" <spinet> = piano fame) recently deceased and who was since the Grand spinet days = importing pianos directly from China.  I learn now from Pierce that J. Becker is a = firm in St. Petersburg, Russia still operating at least when the 10th edition = came out.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The piano was in such poor shape I = followed up the visit with a two-page letter detailing the piano's problems.  They = have just now returned a copy of my letter highlighting a couple of things = they would like me to estimate on correcting, while they decide whether to repair = or replace the piano:  1) Half the action return spring had broken off = causing the soft pedal return to be undependable; estimating on that should be = no problem.  2) The action has no glide bolts.  Frankly, I have = never heard of retrofitting glide bolts into a key frame that never had = them.  I don't see them in the Schaff catalogue.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My feeling is to drive the nail into = the coffin.  What say you?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Bill Maxim, = RPT</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>