[pianotech] How come?

[Ron Nossaman]

On 10/23/2010 8:08 PM, Bppiano wrote:
> I'd be interested to hear what Mr Nossman says about this.

Is that a cage I rear rattling? That's Ron too, incidentally.


>Could the
> soundboard be settling a little every year? Those notes are obviously
> near the edge of the board near the inner rim, could the give (losing
> crown) in a soundboard occur first near the rim?

If you can measure any crown at all up there under the best of 
circumstances, I'll be really impressed. So no, I can't see it as the 
soundboard settling. Any change in absolute overall string length, 
however accomplished, will have a greater effect in the shortest overall 
strings, and in the low break% strings. That could account for the last 
octave effect if the rest of the system was available for comparison. 
Unfortunately, it isn't in enough detail. I don't see it as hammer 
technique, stretching strings, mysterious atmospheric conditions, or 
evil spirits either. Then most of the rest of the piano stays solid, 
you're doing something right. Wood compaction is on the short list of 
likely, but I don't have details that hold up to microscopic analysis, 
so I can't really say.

Bottom line is, I don't have enough information to make an intelligent 
assessment, so until I do, I don't know and can't guess.

Ron N