[CAUT] Soundboard mass

[Alan McCoy]

OK, so you've discovered via vice grips clamped to rear bridge pins that the
top couple octaves would benefit from some added mass. Problem is that the
top octave of the board is above the belly rail. There's no more than a
quarter inch of clearance in this region between the top of the belly rail
and the bottom of the ribs.

Solution: drill a hole through the keybed, up through the belly rail. Hang a
brass weight. I'm thinking that I'll need to drill maybe a 1.25" (or maybe
1.375") hole to allow some clearance for my 1.125" diameter brass stock as
it will be hanging down into the belly rail.  I don't know yet how much mass
will be effective, but I'm thinking that I'll try at least 100g to begin
with. This is a M&H BB with adequate sustain but the weight of the vice
grips added some body and carry to that sustain.

Anyone ever done this? Seems I remember Ron N doing something like this.

Thanks for your thoughts and experience.

Alan


-- Alan McCoy, RPT
Eastern Washington University
amccoy at mail.ewu.edu
509-359-4627