<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; =
-khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><DIV><DIV>On Jan 3, 2006, at =
9:49 AM, Ric Brekne wrote:</DIV><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><P =
style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" =
size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">The article did bring up one =
question in my mind however.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> =
</SPAN>Just how much extra work / time (and thereby expense) goes into a =
sucessfull re-design of a small piano. In Dales example it seemed like =
things went rather straight forward and required only minimal planning =
and thinking through, yet in the first example by Dave Snyder there =
seemed to be all kinds of issues that needed work arounds.</FONT></P> =
</BLOCKQUOTE><BR></DIV><DIV>The accounting question aside ("Just how =
much extra work / time...."), the three seemed at first to be talking =
past each each other, ie., their issues didn't connect for an actual =
give-and-take. That being said, the points presented by each and =
collected as a whole made a good overview. Both David Hughes and Dave =
Snyder say that some of the things which can't be changed in a small =
rebuilding shop (the rim) limit what is gained by re-design of things =
things can be changed. Also that running a business tends to encourage =
(demand, actually) predictable workflow and results.</DIV><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Dale's example on a =
Steinway O assumes a good rim and a name which someone would want to pay =
money for, and goes on to list modifications standard now for a number =
of well-respected rebuilders. But no mention of lesser pianos, such as =
the one which suggested this article to Mary Smith.</DIV><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I remember back in 1992, =
hearing Chris Robinson say that he had fooled around with installing a =
plywood board in a runt grand just to see if he could boost the musical =
capabilities of such common mongrels. It didn't sound like a successful =
experiment.</DIV><DIV><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" =
style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: =
rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: =
normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: =
normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; =
-khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; =
-apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; =
white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><BR =
class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN> </DIV><DIV =
style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">Bill Ballard RPT</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">NH Chapter, =
P.T.G.</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV =
style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">"Lady, this piano is what it is, I am what I am, and =
you are what you are"</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> ...........From a =
recurring nightmare.</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; =
">+++++++++++++++++++++</DIV></BODY></HTML>=