<!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 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=2>John wrote;</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4></FONT></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=2>(Snip)</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV>I have difficulty believing companies such as Steinway or Mason and = Hamlin are simply too afraid of what people will think.<BR><BR><FONT size=2><STRONG>(Snip)</STRONG><BR></FONT><BR>Please tell me it's = deeper than this :-) >>>>></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4>Well in reality, it is to do with the = "public perception" that "size matters".  You ask any Joe Soap and he'll = say that the longer the string the better the piano must be or the thicker the = bass strings the better the bass must be. That's = fact!</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4></FONT></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4>Basking in sunshine on the Costa del Edinburgh.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4></FONT></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4>Alan F.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>