<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"> <html> <body text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" link="#0000EE" vlink="#551A8B" alink="#FF0000">   ETomlinCF3@AOL.COM wrote: <blockquote TYPE=CITE>When I visited Yamaha and got the skinny on the V-pro plates they seem to say, as did Del, that it mattered little in the tone.  It was the fact that they would not have any failure rate and that they were perfect every time. Same strength with slightly less mass.  The finishing process could be immediate rather than spending the two or three days of grinding and sanding some companies spend.  This is one area that was money well spent.  Yamaha does not make this type plate for the concert grand because they do not make enough to make it cost effective to make a mold and a large casting area for it.  I have been in the molten iron area during pouring and it is quite awesome.  The cast iron cools perfectly uniform as to place no air pockets and no stress areas due to uneven cooling.  A highly superior process.  I have heard that sometimes as many as more than 50% of other companies plates have to be recast due to imperfections.  How is the density different? Richard, if they are both cast iron how can one be more dense? Ed Tomlinson  </blockquote> Golly gee willikers you guys really like standing up for your ma.. er piano dont you. Ok Ed, I have to admit I am not 100% sure on this matter of the plate density. But here is what I have heard in years gone by from the guys who are supposed to be in the know. The Vacum process creates indeed a much more uniform, Feilfree plate which is much more cost effective. It also creates a less pourous cast (thats why I figured density was an ok word to use) This then is supposed to contribute differently to the overall sound in the piano, in yamahas case make the sound a bit more metallic. Now I cant say that I know this to be true, I am no physisist or anything even close, but my impression through the years of the yamaha sound has been that they have gone from very metallicish to acceptably nice and very even with a tad of that metallic sound I dont like so much. I dont hear this same "tinge" in pianos not useing that process. I was curious to know that the Boston uses this proceedure as it has a kind of sound I havent been able to really place. Anyways, if my betters in this area are able to straighten me out on the vacum plate buisness that would be nice. Richard Brekne I.C.P.T.G.  N.P.T.F. Bergen, Norway </body> </html>