laminated ribs

[Ron Nossaman]

>    *My question is how does that relate to the sweet spot I believe 
> exists for crown compression, bearing & tone in a belly system.  Being 
> that the system is a spring, the question for all Soundboard 
> designers?redesigner is how stiff is stiff enough for the type of tone 
> desired & it's subsequent life span. *

That's why I'm going the way I'm going with minimal panel 
support. I can, hopefully, eventually make sense of some of 
these cause and effect relationships only if I can separate 
some of the factors.


> *     That being said none of us( I think none) are using straight sugar 
> pine ribs  with a MOE  less than Spruce. SO we know that track record.  
> SO now enter boards which are rib crowned spruce with  higher beam 
> strength especially with a tight grained spruce, laminated rib structure 
> or Over I beam & we are concerned that the crown, bearing & tone won't 
> hold up?  Ron have faith man. They will hold up.*

Hardly a lack of faith, or I wouldn't be building them like 
this. I have no doubt whatsoever that they will hold up fine. 
What I can't say for sure is exactly how much actual 
cumulative sag the loaded ribs will exhibit in 50 years under 
load, so I intend to start out with - enough.


> *  There is also a larger issue that we have been tip toeing around & so 
> I will say it. The tonal envelope on many of these boards to my ears and 
> others is a new & uniquely wonderful sound and may be judged  superior 
> by many to many compression crowned systems. *

After being told a number of times that these boards would 
have to sound dramatically and decisively better than the best 
CC board ever heard for any of this to have any value or 
credibility, I've pretty much given up on making observations 
on the tone quality - which I very much like too, 
incidentally. Finally, we can go to Rochester this summer and 
hear for ourselves what's happening in small shop soundboard 
design around the planet.


> *  (I have noted the tonal clarity by simply switching to all spruce ribs.)*
> *    Hopefully the tone crown & bearing will  prove to having superior 
> longevity as well*

Dale, have faith man! They will hold up.

Ron N