"Putting A Damper On My Enthusiasm"

I was doing some repair work on a fancy Steinway Duo-Art at a
friend's piano showroom a couple of weeks ago.  Next to me, a fellow
was finishing the installation of one of the modern computer players
into a Korean grand.  When he finished, and began playing it, I walked
over to watch it up close.

I had seen the electromagnets that make up the stack, but it occurred
to me that I never saw the large solenoid to lift the dampers.  When
I asked the fellow, he told me that there is no solenoid.  The keys are
held down exactly like most Ampico rolls with the lengthened
perforations.

Obviously, this is in keeping with the "how cheap can we make it and
still sell it" philosophy that seems to be the basis of too many things
today, but I invite readers to offer their opinions on what effect this
will have.

Randolph Herr