I really don't know how modern they still are, but when I got to Madrid in
1961, these bright red babies were everywhere.  It seemed like every shop
had one sitting in the doorway...and they were and still are LOUD.  I had
no intentions of going to Barcelona, but...well that is where they were
made.  I am, and always have been a travel agent's worse nightmare...so it
was off to Barcelona to find the factory.

The cabbie dropped me at a non-descript building in the middle of downtown
Barcelona.  The simple sign said "Vicente Llinares".  It was on the second
floor.  I was graciously welcomed and shown the complete "factory".  They
were literally hand made, one at a time...no assembly lines here.  The
barrel pinning department was especially interesting.  To this day I regret
that I did not take a camera.  Oh, well....

I bought one of the non-electric kind.  The electrics with the cart,
mannequin and horse were just too much for me at the time.  It was to be
shipped to the port of Houston, Texas.  I left in a rush to try and rejoin
the group I was with.  I missed them and did not catch up until they
reached Rome, three days later.  I missed something or other on the
trip...don't remember...but I DO remember meeting Vicente Llinares and
still have that little piano which when uncrated for customs in Houston in
September of 1961, brought the whole place to a standstill when I played it
for them.

Now for the "show and tell" portion of this story, go to:

     http://www.txdirect.net/~egaida/faven1.html

P.S.  The pianos were imported to the United States by

        Embassy Publishing & Trading Co., Inc.
        33 West 42nd Street
        New York 36, N.Y.

At least that's what the label in the electric model shown on the web page
says.

I will post the tuning scale separately........

Enjoy!

Ed