[pianotech] #2 Soundboard Wood

[reggaepass at aol.com]

Roseland made such a panel that we put in a D (the rest of the board and installation on that job was by Nick G.).  Sounds great, without any cracks or even a hint of compression ridges after several years.  Our RH swings from months below 30% (often hovering in the teens for weeks on end) in the winter to 60% or more in the summer.  So far so good!



Alan Eder

 I have also seen a grand (the name of 
which I can't recall) that used a modified form of tongue & groove butt 
joint



-----Original Message-----
From: Delwin D Fandrich <del at fandrichpiano.com>
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: Wed, 11 Mar 2009 11:03 am
Subject: [pianotech] #2 Soundboard Wood













Yes, I have. I have also seen a grand (the name of 
which I can't recall) that used a modified form of tongue & groove butt 
joint and another that used finger jointed butt joints. All within the vibrating 
portion of the panel and all working well.


 


This subject is one I've been interested in for some 
time. I do not understand the unrealistic demands most manufacturers and 
technicians place on the flawless color, grain uniformity and defect free 
characteristics of the wood used to make soundboard panels. 


 


We're told that these specifications somehow translate 
into "better" tone but solid reasons are missing. I've had more than one 
manufacturers rep tell me that the color of soundboard wood affects the color of 
tone! I'm not entirely sure but I th
ink they actually believed this. We're told 
"tight" grain wood should be used in the "treble." Presumably because tight 
grain wood is both stiffer and heavier and this could be perceived as a benefit 
in the high treble. But follow that tight grain board down and you'll see it 
runs right under--or at least very close to--the bass bridge where it 
is not at all advantageous.


 


OK, I can understand why wood of uniform grain might be 
required for soundboards that are crowned by pure compression. But for good and 
obvious reasons this applies to fewer and fewer piano makers (and rebuilder, for 
that) these days. 


 


For all the rest the soundboard panel is simply a 
reasonably light-weight diaphragm supported and tied together by a rib system 
and a couple of bridges. Yes, a certain amount of longitudinal stiffness is 
required but pretty much all spruce of whatever variety and grade has enough 
longitudinal stiffness to suffice. 


 


As others have noted, soundboards having historically 
unacceptable color variations, erratic grain, pitch flaws and minor knots are 
the wave--so to speak--of the future. As we continue to chop away at the 
remaining stocks of high-grade spruce trees with little of no thought of 
sustainably replacing them we're going to find the cost and availability of wood 
with the characteristics we've been demanding growing increasingly scarce and 
dear. We might as well start getting used to using what's left. 



 0A

ddf


 


 









From: 
pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of 
Mark Dierauf
Sent: March 11, 2009 6:23 AM
To: 
Pianotech
Subject: Re: [pianotech] NW Woods #2 soundboard 
panel





  

Also the wave of the past. Have you never seen an old Blake upright 
  with ship-lap jointed soundboard panels? I suspect that they used to raid 
  their competitor's scrap piles for the material for their own 
  boards!

Mark




 




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