Hi, Ed. It's more than just a question of semantics. This idea of the soundboard as amplifier has been around for decades -- centuries? -- and has become so firmly ingrained in piano mythology that it has led to some rather firmly held -- though incorrect -- convictions about soundboard size. After all, if soundboards are amplifiers, then by simply making the soundboard bigger we can make it 'amplify' more and the piano will be more powerful. I.e., louder. And we all know that 'louder' pianos are 'better' pianos. Right? In general, most piano soundboards are larger than they should be. Yet even within the last decade pianos have been introduced with 'design innovation[s] giving [the] piano substantially more soundboard area than other pianos of the same length.' The idea is supposed to be that the larger soundboard will yield the 'power and volume of a larger piano.' In fact, a smaller, carefully shaped and ribbed soundboard will operate more efficiently and will give better overall tone quality, smoother tone response, clearer articulation, greater dynamics, better sustain, etc. There ain't no free lunch. Del ------------------------------------ A440A@AOL.COM wrote: > Greetings, > As Jerry cited Del, the soundboard is a transducer. It converts > mechanical energy into acoustic energy. Amplify seems to denote increasing > something. Semantic angels are smiling at all us pin-heads, I am > sure.........(:)}} > Regards, > Ed Foote
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