Sarah, I don't think that an aluminum rib, constrained as it is by the soundboard panel, would "ring" at a specific frequency. But aluminum case-hardens and cracks very easily---no elasticity to speak of. Thump --- Sarah Fox <sarah@graphic-fusion.com> wrote: > Hey Jean-Jacques, :-) > > > 1. Has anyone of you ever heard of ribs made of > other material than wood, > such > > as aluminium or even plexiglas? > > Yes, as others have suggested, however, aluminum > would make a terrible > material for a soundboard. Bang a steel pan, and it > rings. Bang an > aluminum pan, and it goes "clonk." > > I have heard a steel soundboard, and it produces a > very interesting sound. > The bass and tenor are very rich and seductive. The > treble, on the other > hand, rings like bells and has a bit of a steel drum > sound to it. It's a > very peculiar sound that I wouldn't call > "piano-like." I haven't heard a > glass soundboard, but I imagine it sounds similar -- > or perhaps like ringing > glasses in the treble. (Yes??) > > I suspect the greatest promise for alternative > materials might lie in the > rib structure. I would love to see someone create a > carbon fiber rib (for > instance) for a rib crowned/supported soundboard. > > Or how about a ribless laminated soundboard with > coil spring supports (i.e. > made of spring steel) supporting the downbearing > beneath the bridges? It > could have a milled core of varying thickness -- > thinner at the margins and > towards the treble (?) to achieve the desired > response, and then a finish > laminate could be bonded over that. The core could > even be milled into a > dish shape, in the same manner as a violin > soundboard. This could all be > easily achieved with CNC machining. > > Lots of possibilities! :-) > > Peace, > Sarah > > > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: > https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/
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