- The Philadelphia Inquirer publishes an article by Michael Vitez, dedicated to Steinway & Sons’ recent soundboard problems. The article includes a photo of a cracked Steinway & Sons piano soundboard.
- In the article, Michael J. Yaeger, a piano dealer from Waterford, Connecticut, is quoted characterizing modern Steinway & Sons pianos as “garbage”.
- Robert P. Birmingham, in response, refers to Michael J. Yaeger as “madman on a vendetta”.
- The article also contains excerpts from Steinway & Sons factory manager Daniel T. Koenig’s 1988 inter-office memorandum, and from Frank Mazurko’s memorandum about the cracked soundboard problems.
- Addressing the memorandums quoted in the article, Daniel T. Koenig states in his interview that “Frank has to be manufacturing’s severest critic. Every time he sees a speck of dust on a piano, he’s got to complain about it. And that’s the way we want him to be.”