The meeting of L.I.-Nassau Chapter was held at Steinway Piano Gallery in Westbury, NY on November 9, 2004, and was attended by four members and two guests. The meeting began at 7 PM with an informal gathering around a restored Model A Steinway grand, and a general discussion of downbearing and plate height adjustments led by our guest speaker Alex Kostakis of AC Pianocraft of New York City. The nature of soundboard spruce and its various finishing materials followed. The business meeting was called to order by president Paul Eccardt at 7:30 PM. Secretary Marty Dinerstein was not present, so the minutes from last month's Newsletter were accepted and approved as written. Treasurer Paul Keogler also could not attend but informed this writer that the chapter's financial status remains unchanged since last month's report. The dinner committee presented the details of the upcoming Holiday Party in December. The business meeting was adjourned at 7:40 PM.

The formal technical by Alex Kostakis was an open question-and-answer forum which began with a discussion of the focus of AC Pianocraft - the complete restoration of only high quality grand pianos, primarily Steinways for private individuals. The evaluation of these instruments, the needs and preferences of the client, the determination of original parts, and the importance of humidity control were stressed. Alex then responded to inquiries regarding soundboard pressure and installation, followed by discussions of broken agraffes and the newer finishing materials and techniques required by current environmental laws. Pedal and trapwork repairs, especially the tension of the return springs were addressed, as well as a comprehensive discussion of pinblocks. This included warped Steinway pinblocks, delignit material, tuning pin torque, drill sizing, etc.

Alex's methods for the preparation and voicing of new soft Steinway hammers were presented, followed by a discussion of Steinway plate curvatures and old double (split) plates, and pinblock fitting and installation. The final questions regarded the cleaning, bleaching, and replacement of ivory keytops. Alex informed us that AC now has legal access to real ivory for restoration purposes, and offers full keyboard replacement services to the trade. The meeting was adjourned at 9 PM. The forum with Alex was one of the most interesting and informative presentations the chapter has hosted, and the breadth and depth of his knowledge was truly extensive. We thank him for a most interesting technical.