On reading the post on the Nisco Museum in Ein Hod, the picture of the
Knabe makes me very, very sad.  That Ampico was once my own personal
piano.  I spent many hours and many dollars restoring it to new
condition.

The piano was damaged in the fire but it would still play.  I went up
to Ein Hod and fixed the valves after the fire and the Ampico played
beautifully and expressed beautifully.  The damage that the fire did
however, besides destroying the beautiful hand rubbed finish, was to
the strings.  (The piano didn't need to be restrung and so it never
happened.)  Although the Ampico can still play, the strings are brittle
and several have broken.

The New York Chapter of AMICA were gracious enough to send someone
there to help bring some of the instruments back to life.  Sadly,
however, many of the fine instruments remain silent.

Eli Shahar
Santa Maria, California - formerly of Tel Aviv, Israel