Negative crown

[Joe & Penny Goss]

Hi Kevin,
Your post reminds me of a piano that was traded for by a local store that I
service.
Someone in the past had used wood shims and #22 gage wire to build up the
bridge for greater 
downbearing. Boy what a beast to tune, false beats all over the entire
piano.
Joe Goss <G>

----------
> From: Kevin R. Aldrich <KAldrich@compuserve.com>
> To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Subject: Negative crown
> Date: Tuesday, December 29, 1998 8:58 AM
> 
> What would happen if you recapped bridges to gain downbearing on an old
> piano with a soundboard with no crown left, or even with an oilcanned
> soundboard?  Would the soundboard totally collapse?  Del Fandrich says
that
> a soundboard does not act like an arch, so crown does not help support
> bearing load, right?  Would the tone improve?  Wasn't there a piano made
in
> the past with negative crown?  I realize that one should replace the
> soundboard in these circumstances, but some pianos aren't worth the
> expense.
> 
> Kevin Aldrich