<!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 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hello in the new year = everyone!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks to all of you who adressed the = issue of downbearing over the past two days. It all made for interesting reading.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Does anyone here know anything about a = piano maker out of Boston called 'New England Piano Co.' (Not to be confused with = the present-day music firm)? </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have a 6 foot grand made in the = 1890's by this company. It's one of those highly ornate pianos with massive carved = legs and a three-corner rim (like the Bosendorfer). Its mid-section (24 = unisons) is overstrung 12 over 12, while the bass strings are strung straight, so = that this piano has three bridges. Strangely enough, the grain of the soundboard = is parallel to the piano's longest side. The action was made by Schuster in = New York, if that means anything.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>What is the reputation of these pianos? = Does anyone know where to get a soundboard and fallboard decal for it?  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'd be grateful for any = information.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jean-Jacques Granas</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>