September 22, 1978

At the industry sales meeting in Philadelphia, Henry Z. Steinway has an opportunity to examine new Yamaha grand pianos. According to notes Henry Z. Steinway has made during the meeting, Yamaha grand piano scales are “all newly designed”, the rims are “narrower and more attractive”, and the felt bushings are “impregnated with a secret substance”. Henry Z. Steinway has asked Yamaha engineers whether they use Teflon, and received no answer. Yamaha representatives informed the attendees of the meeting of their company’s new $10,000,000 foundry, operated by only six workers and capable of making 1,000 plates a day, and also of a bass string machine that controls the winding tension to eliminate the rattle.