<HTML><HEAD> <META charset=US-ASCII http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; cha= rset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1400" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff= f"> <DIV>Let me add to the remarks. I have an Erard that has been in our shop fo= r the last 2 yrs...any hints so far?</DIV> <DIV>Teardown warnings: be prepared to destroy the stretcher if you want to = take the plate out. The plate is bolted (internally)  through the stret= cher with about 20 bolts. The head of the bolts are buried in the stretcher.= </DIV> <DIV>The comment about taking good notes is an understatement. Take great, d= etailed notes...you'll need it.</DIV> <DIV>Is this a straight strung or over bass string scale?</DIV> <DIV>Over damper or underdamper system?</DIV> <DIV>What is the condition of the shanks? Do they have the "front checking" = system instead of the conventional backcheck?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>And when you eventually finish this project, expect a nice, but sp= arse, thin, and unassuming tone which will make it harder to justi= fy all the time required to tackle this beast. We have (sure) come= a long way since the designs of these instruments!</DIV> <DIV>Tom Servinsky</DIV></BODY></HTML>