More on soundboard crown

[Ron Nossaman]

>Is there any way to observe or measure a piano to determine whether its
>soundboard is compression-crowned or rib-crowned?
>
>Fascinating discussion!
>
>--Cy Shuster--


Not dependably, unfortunately. Compression crowned boards tend to have ribs 
wider than they are tall, but that doesn't really tell you much. Even a 
soundboard you know to have been built with crowned ribs can still be 
primarily compression crowned and supported - like Baldwin. This is the 
point I attempted to make with John Hartman that the dimensions and mass of 
the parts aren't the sole determinants of where the stiffness comes from. 
The assembly method is the part you can't see by looking at the finished 
product.

Ron N