Glass soundboard

[Bernhard Stopper]

Yamaha holds a patent for piano soundboards with multiple laminates having
different elastic moduli, in fact this patent covers also carbon fiber piano
soundboards. A prototype piano with a carbon fiber soundboard (a Sauter
upright) was made by Renner/Sauter some years ago. I did not sound good, but
this may be caused by lack of  know how to dimension correctly the layer
thicknesses. One may use a virtual simulation of modal analysis in a
computer before, to come close to the behaviour of a wooden sounboard.

regards,

Bernhard


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sarah Fox" <sarah@graphic-fusion.com>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 09, 2004 2:58 PM
Subject: Re: Glass soundboard


> Hi Cy,
>
> > Now, carbon fiber might be interesting...
>
> Indeed!  I'm eagerly anticipating one of y'all getting into a radically
> experimental mood -- especially one of you soundboard gurus.
>
> Carbon fiber is being used very successfully for construction of the lower
> register string instruments and (I'm pretty sure) for guitars.  They're
> still working on a carbon fiber viola and violin.  Of course there may
never
> really be a carbon fiber violin, since the design parameters of that
> instrument are so rigid.
>
> I suspect the chief complaint about the carbon fiber piano soundboard will
> be the same as that for the glass soundboard -- that there's too much
> sustain -- that it's too efficient.  As I've suggested before, there are
> many ways to make the piano "perform" better, but at some point, the piano
> no longer sounds like a piano (in the inefficient sense that we all know
and
> love).  The steel soundboard piano is a case in point.  A piece composed
for
> a modern piano may not sound "right" on a piano of the future, much the
same
> way that a piece composed for an ancient piano often has problems with
> regard to the modern piano (e.g. with regard to damping/pedaling).
>
> I might suggest, in the interim, that newer, more efficient soundboard
> materials might be made less efficient (and more "wood-like") by damping
> them with other materials.  For instance, how about constructing a steel
> soundboard with an inner and outer skin and a thin core of tar-laden felt?
>
> As for the glass soundboard...  I wonder what 50 years of age would do to
> it...  Glass does become brittle with age.  Even if the sound of the thing
> appeals to some folks, it will surely change, just as surely as wood.  If
> I'm not mistaken, it will lose much of its flexibility with age, so bass
> response will be sacrificed somewhat.  At the same time, the
ear-shattering
> treble response will still be just fine.  As the glass continues to
harden,
> it will become brittle, so there will come a point that it might explode
> under the downbearing -- probably during a very loud chord!  While this
> might be very "impressive" in concert <chuckle>, I wouldn't want to be the
> person at the piano!  ;-)
>
> Peace,
> Sarah
>
>
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