It figures! ;-) I'm sure it's just a matter of time. I'm glad to see that someone's doing the R&D. Peace, Sarah ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bernhard Stopper" <b98tu@t-online.de> To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Saturday, October 09, 2004 9:23 AM Subject: Re: Glass soundboard > 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 >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >
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