Mahogany was Wood & Humidity

[Ron Nossaman]

>OK, folks, the old year is gone, time marches on and it's time for my very
>first rant of the shiny new year and the brand new millennium.


And a fine and cogent rant it was too, as always. For the record, I'd like
to point out that I didn't indicate the Story & Clark board sounded like -
well, you know - because it was not spruce, laminated, or for any other
such superficial reason. I've said that before, but maybe it expired with
the millennium rollover. I answered the question about whether mahogany was
ever used as a soundboard material, indicating it was laminated to not give
the impression it was a solid panel, which is what I assumed Richard was
asking. I don't assume a piano sounds lousy because it has a laminated or
non spruce board, horizontally laminated bridges, hammers without staples,
MDF cabinet, or soft casters - all of which I've heard extended as
explanations or excuses. What I failed to do was to add the disclaimer to
an answer that seemed to tie two non cause and effect things together in
the same post, leaving room for the erroneous assumption that I do presume
the cause and effect relationship, even though I didn't say it. My mistake.
I'll clear that up with a renewal statement. "I do not automatically assume
a terrible sounding piano with a laminated board sounds terrible only
because of the panel is laminated." I haven't, however, entirely abandoned
the possibility of evil spirits just yet.

We probably would still have plenty of Sitka Spruce left if it hadn't been
wasted for the last two hundred years as an easily harvested, cheap, easy
to work junk wood. Who's turn is it to have enough sense to know better
than to waste the only world we have? Take notes for the next four years as
to who's turn it's not.


Ron N