<HTML>Ron, I fear that you may be right.  Nonetheless, I'll have to take a pos= itive outlook into this situation, and hope that I can at least improve the = sound.  Given the overall quality of workmanship in this piano, I'd be = really surprised if nobody in the factory has ever addressed this.  &nb= sp;This year's pianos have been redesigned, though I haven't yet had a chanc= e to examine them. I've just got to figure out how to manage the expectations of the client= , and hope that Roger and David's methods make some difference. Dave S. In a message dated 3/5/04 10:25:24 PM Pacific Standard Time, RNossaman@c= ox.net writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-= LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">>The capo area has the z= ings that you mention, and I agree that too much >needling in this area can kill the tone as well as the zing. That's because the problem isn't caused by the hammers. It's a duplex design problem - or maybe the casters. >The bottom couple of notes on the long bridge are noticeably differe= nt >sounding from their neighbors. Boomy and hollow. Another design problem. This one could be string scaling, lack of stiffn= ess in the assembly in that area, or both. Voicing won't fix it. >Everywhere you look on these pianos is quality workmanship and mater= ials. >I only wish I could make this one sound better. > >Keith Jones I remember an old Phyllis Diller routine where she walks into a beauty shop, sits down in the chair and says "Just make me beautiful". Some thi= ngs are just going to require revision at the design and construction stage = if you want a better final result. It's a matter of what you have to work w= ith. No offense Phyllis, wherever you are. I always considered you a pretty uptown old broad. Ron N </BLOCKQUOTE> </HTML>