Hi all,  I have been silent on this subject too long.  Yamaha is
a fine piano, no doubt.  A concert grand Yamaha should have a beautiful
sound and might be an interesting experiment, but why destroy a Mason
and Hamlin to do it???

Your is a modern piano, so use a Pianocorder.  Good God, there are
just so many decent pianos that have survived the chops over the years,
you want to add another?  If you were to tell me that you have the
parts which were removed by someone and no piano attached with it,
I would reluctantly say go for it.  What you're talking about should
be punishable by law.  This proposal is, in my opinion, on the level
with those who gutted their pianos so that the drawer wouldn't bother
them when they played (and then they never played it anyway!).

It's your stuff, destroy it if you want.  Just remember that when
you finish playing your games with it, you owe it to the memory of
Mr. Stoddard and the fine craftsmen of the American Piano Company
to restore it to its original location and if you can't do that,
then leave it alone.

My two cents (and I now return the soapbox).

Eliyahu Shahar