Soundboard Chemical Treatment

[Les Smith]

Hi, Barb!

I'm inclined to agree with you. It seems that the uninformed are forever
confusing the soundboard and the pinblock. However, it COULD be that some
enterprising technician reasoned that if TPT can cause the wood in the
pinblock to swell, maybe it could do the same thing for cracks in the
soundboard. ANYTHING is possible. I mention this because just when I
thought I'd seen it all, I came across a restrung piano in which the cracks
in the soundboard had been "repaired" by the expedient of covering them
with masking tape which was then stained to match the old board! The
"rebuider" had to be a charter member of the BPTA-- That's the BOZO
PIANO TECHNICIANS of AMERICA. Unfortunately that renegade organization
appears to have an extensive membership list.

Les Smith
lessmith@buffnet.net

On Mon, 19 Aug 1996, Barb Barasa wrote:

> MANY of my customers over the years have told me that another tuner told
> them the soundboard was cracked and the piano was no good.  Usually what I
> find is that the PINBLOCK is cracked.  This could also be the case with a
> "something"block that has been chemically treated -- i.e., doped.
>
> For some reason, people have heard of soundboards, they can see soundboards,
> often there ARE cracks in the soundboard, and this is all they can remember.
> The pinblock is hidden ... out of sight, out of mind.
>
> Barb Barasa
> Sycamore IL
>
>
> >Greetings Folks,
> >
> >	I receive several inquiries about pianos from my website, but none
> >was stranger than the person who proudly informed me that "the
> >soundboard has been chemically treated to hold tuning longer", on
> >their Schumann 5' grand #48322. I stifled a snort, and sent back a
> >tactful reply asking what process was involved, who did it, what the
> >benefits were, etc.
> >
> >Anyone else hear of this type of "treatment"?
> >
> >Thanks,
> >Rob Kiddell
> >R.P.T., P.T.G.
> >C.A.P.T. Student
> >Edmonton, Canada
> >http://www.planet.eon.net/~atonal/atonal.html
> >
>
>
>
>