A regular meeting of the Long Island Nassau Chapter, PTG was held on January 14, 2014, at Frank and Camille's Keyboard Center, 229B Glen Cove Road, Carle Place, N.Y. Seven chapter members and one guest attended.

President Slavin called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m..

There were no minutes of the December meeting, which was our annual Holiday Dinner Party, held at the Inn at New Hyde Park.

The Treasurer's report was given by Paul Keogler.

The guest speaker for the evening was Alex Kostakis of AC Pianocraft. Alex addressed the variety of problems that can present themselves in his rebuilding projects, and emphasized the need for creativity in solving them. He stressed the importance of this approach especially in field work, where as technicians we often must make repairs without the advantage of our full shop, parts, and equipment; we must "think on the fly." He believes that comprehensive photos are essential in repair work, and for documentation for warranty issues with manufacturers. The discussion then addressed the topics of Teflon bushings in Steinway pianos, the pros and cons of welding cracked plates, incorrectly glued bridges, various buzzes that can develop in pianos, and the differences in action parts from Renner, Steinway, and Japanese suppliers. Finally, Alex focused on the importance of communication with the client beforehand, of exactly what needs to be done and the reality of the situation, so that they have a full understanding of the project before it proceeds. The meeting was adjourned at 8:05 p.m.