Crown without soundboards

[Ron Nossaman]

Hi Del,

You're right, of course. I was speaking from a conceptual, rather than a
practical standpoint. The point I was after, and very poorly made, was this.
It isn't necessary to have a continuous uninterrupted soundboard panel
surface the full length or the rib to have crown. The system doesn't work
like a masonry doorway arch, where removal of the keystone causes total
collapse, or a cathedral, where removing a flying buttress will bury you in
gargoyles. It's not the rim and the continuity of the soundboard panel that
holds the crown in a soundboard. 
 
Thanks for the clarification. Better be careful though, you might become
designated the list's "Technical Watchdog" and have to attend meetings and
such. What's that? Oh, well, er, never mind. I see that you already have,
and already do.

Thanks again, Ron  


>
>The key phrase being, "of sorts." Any soundboard that has been riddled with
that many cracks will have sustained so much
>fiber damage that it will be pretty much unable to support much in the way
of crown. At least not if there is much in the way
>of string downbearing. The only time I've been able to measure any crown in
a board like this is when there is no downforce
>from the strings pushing it down.
>
>Now it is certainly possible that if the ribs were crowned they could still
be supporting soundboard crown. If that were the
>case, however, it would be unlikely to find that many cracks in the
soundboard panel.
>
>Del
>


 Ron Nossaman