<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1226" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><SPAN class=171350905-14032004><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" = color=#000080>To the best of my knowledge when Kimball stopped production they sold their = equipment, and presumably their designs, to a Chinese company. But they = retained the name. Since then no pianos have been built using the Kimball name. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=171350905-14032004><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#000080></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=171350905-14032004><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" = color=#000080>If this piano is "new" it's been buried in a warehouse somewhere for = some years now.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=171350905-14032004><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#000080></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=171350905-14032004><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#000080>Del</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=171350905-14032004><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#000080></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000080 2px = solid"> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> = pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Tvak@aol.com<BR><B>Sent:</B> March 13, 2004 8:10 PM<BR><B>To:</B> pianotech@ptg.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> Kimball La Petite<BR><BR></FONT></DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT = face=Geneva color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF">List<BR><BR>The piano in = question: a Kimball La Petite. <BR>The dealer in question: infamous for rhyming = with fiasco, among other things<BR>The question in question: Purchased less = than a year ago as a new piano, the treble bridge has tiny cracks near the = pins on the speaking side.  These cracks look just like the cracks you = find on that 75 year old upright, emanating sideways from the pin in the = direction of the pressure exerted by the string.  They're not big cracks, but = they're big enough to be noticed while you casually tune a piano.  = Pressing on the bridge pin doesn't seem to change the tone in any way, so I think = the bridge pins are still secure in the bridge.<BR><BR>And, truthfully, it = doesn't seem to affect the tone at all: no false beats to speak of.  But = I wonder in another 10 years if that will still be true.  <BR><BR>First of = all, is this a problem that should be addressed?  Is it a manufacturer's = problem or a dealer's problem?  Who makes Kimballs nowadays?  Would = it just be easier for me to soak a little CA in there next time I tune it and = just shut up?<BR><BR>The owner of the piano, an elderly blind gentleman, = has been with me for years and is a good client.  I didn't mention = anything to him yet.  <BR><BR>I thought I'd get a little advice = first...<BR><BR>Thanks in advance,<BR>Tom Sivak<BR>Chicago<BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT><FONT = face=Geneva color=#000000 size=2 = FAMILY="SANSSERIF"></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>