<!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 6.00.2900.2523" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; = FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 bgColor=#ffffff leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 = rightMargin=7> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3>There is good news and there is bad news = from this end. I am Down from last year on appointments by 25% but only down by = 7.5% financially, which means that profitability is actually UP.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3></FONT></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3>The one challenge we are going to have to = address is the onslaught of the digital piano. Traditional piano dealers are = selling more of these now than the real thing. I always try and put my customers = off buying them by saying that they lose their value very quickly, just like = computers because they become outdated (obsolete) within a few years. I = also tell them that they will soon become tired of the sound of a digital = piano (at least I do) "listener fatigue" and all that. I can only play a digital = piano for about half an hour and have to switch it off. </FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3></FONT></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3>Have any of you ever analysed the = tuning on a digital piano: it's terrible. The temperament is not very smooth at all = and even the unisons aren't all that great. However I do suspect that if they = were tuned the way we tuners would like them to be tuned, they probably wouldn't = sound like pianos at all!</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3></FONT></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3>Any other ammunition with which to bombard = the onslaught is welcome.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3></FONT></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3>Looking forward to another = year.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3></FONT></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3>Burp!</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3></FONT></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3></FONT></STRONG> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=ANRPiano@aol.com = href="mailto:ANRPiano@aol.com">ANRPiano@aol.com</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, December 25, = 2004 6:10 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Year End</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 = size=2> <DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 12/25/2004 11:39:29 A.M. Central Standard = Time, <A = href="mailto:hubertliverman@bellsouth.net">hubertliverman@bellsouth.net= </A> writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px = solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 = size=2> <DIV>I have had a disastrous year. Your insightful post eased my panic,reminded me of the realities of my situation, gave me hope for = the coming year,and overcome a very bleak Christmas.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thank You,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Hubert Liverman</DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3></FONT></STRONG></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BODY></HTML>