<html> <body> Hi, David, Truly music to my ears!  These are the things that make and keep us human. Cecil was a genius, pure and simple.  Glad you made contact with Mike, too...good man!  (Hi, Mike!) Thanks very much for a truly wonderful Christmas gift! Best. Horace At 10:44 AM 12/12/2004, you wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Hey my colleagues------ Just thought I’d share a little from the last week.  I have a client, Don Beamsley, who has been a well-known and successful jazz player in SoCal forever; he’s played with every big band around, from Tommy Dorsey, Horace Heidt, Glenn Miller, Tex Beneke----the list is endless; he was even the LA Dodger organist for a while in the 60’s and 70’s. Sohe’s got a sweet Steinway B that he was given by his mentor, a 1930 instrument. It was maintained throughout its life by mostly 2 legendary techs---first Cecil Short, the “man” in the Pomona Valley for many years,a nd then by Norman Neblett, an LA denizen and Golden Hammer recipient.  I’ve been maintaining the piano for the last 18 years. Anyway, you know the story---I’ve been nagging this guy for years to do the work:  the piano’s got all original parts and strings, and he’s always used the traditional procrastinating musician’s excuses: “ I just can’t pull the trigger now, DA---I can’t be sure if I’ll work this str= ong next year, my wife’s gig stopped this year, I need a new roof---”whatever. I’m a life-long musician; I’ve used them= all. He is so sweet, and so funny, and such a monstrously beautiful player, and I’m such a soft touch in a certain way, that I made it no problem, and just kept bringing the damn Protek ( the verdigris was out of control on this pig). To make a long, long story very short, Don now has Class 3 Parkinson’s Disease, has for 2 years, has lost 90 pounds, and his prognosis is delicate,  to put it mildly.  But he still rolls himself up to the piano and plays for an hour or so every day. So a month ago I took his wife in the other room and just said now’s the time, sweetie, for the bullshit to cease and for us to do something.  So---because her cash flow at this point is questionable, we opted for the battlefield triage: --Rebuilt keyframe: key bushing, underfelt, backchecks and wires, clean and polish rail pins and captstans and glides, raise height and level keys --repinned shanks, “smoked-out” whippen flanges --new knuckles --rebuilt pedals and pedal mod --hammers filed (very difficult and dicey) --lift, level, seat strings --COMPLETE action regulation --RP and tune THANKS SO MUCH, MICHAEL CAMPI.  You did a great job on the keyframe, pedals, knuckles and shanks. When I FINALLY got the damn thing playing “right---” and that took almos= t 2 full days--- Don rolled up and started playing; we were both crying.  He loved it; he called me “a friggin’ genius.” This is what I work for; this is what I live for; I did the work at about 65% of what I would ordinarily charge; The money is NOT the payoff. To bring love and happiness to music lovers, music players, human beings with sweet hearts and beautiful intentions:  this is what this work is all about.  I’m feeling good. My love and respect to all..... David Andersen </blockquote></body> </html>