Downbearing - Setting with a loose board

[Richard Brekne]

This point has bothered me a bit in my first tentative excusions into 
this world. Just what degree of soundboard deflection is <<optimal>> as 
it were for a given panel and rib assembly ?  Does one simply calculate 
what the soundboard can tolerate... or does one have some (other) 
independant criteria for achieving optimal acoustical response ?

RicB


> While you can certainly pre-load rib crowned and supported boards, you 
> can't realistically calculate deflections on any of the other types.
>
>