In a letter to his nephew Samuel Chapin, dated with that day, John H. Steinway writes: “my own feelings on the CBS acquisition are that it is a bloody shame, but apparently unavoidable… Some… are more interested in making a fast buck than on the preservation of a tradition of four generations. I feel a little like unwilling funeral director. Such, I am afraid, is life.” The letter also mentions John H. Steinway’s concern regarding possible deterioration of the quality of Steinway & Sons pianos as a result of the company having become the property of CBS.