<HTML><HEAD> <META charset=UTF-8 http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charse= t=utf-8"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2730.1700" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff= f"> <DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><BR><BR><STRONG>But now I wonder if UPward blows fro= m a grand would be more likely to break <BR>strings, over time, compared to = an upright. That would be a tough one to <BR>extrapolate, I think.</STRONG><= BR><BR>Terry Peterson</FONT></DIV></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=3><STRONG> &= nbsp;  </STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=3><STRONG>Hi Terr= y</STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=3><STRONG> I= can't see why it would make any difference at all. String breakage is cause= d by metal fatigue  which is often related  to over driving of the= strings with hard hammers period. These days the problem is exaccerbat= ed by holding the sustain pedal down continually which causes wild string os= illations while being strick repeatedly by same hardened hammers. Usual= ly under these conditions string break at the agraffes/terminations.</STRONG= ></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=3><STRONG> &= nbsp; Regards --Dale</STRONG></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>