List, Somehow, I am convinced that the well known good sound of spruce is irreplaceble. I have been a tech for quite a long time, and I have seen many pianos with many different designs and materiels. Also, I have played cello and bass for a long time, instruments with "the real stuff" and built with plywood. If we listen carefully to pianos with a plywood soundboard and compare them with a "spruce piano", I think we must come to the conclusion that the latter sounds best. The same for violins, celli, and basses. I think that it will not be possible to find a substitute for the wonderful spruce, but I do think that it will be worth the effort to find something "else", just for the sake of our dying woods. In any case, I am also convinced that the answer is not "plastic". I think the answer lies in "living" materiels, not dead ones. The piano person in Holland who was responsible for the "chrystal soundboard" was not able to convince the real pianists, and I am sure he never will.. with his plastic soundboard. Somebody with a developed taste knows how to distinguish (how do you spell that nasty word?) between fake and real. Another thought : If you have the chance to work on a REALLY magnificent Steinway (or other wonderful) grand, isn't that convincing enough? Isn't the thought of plastic or plywood a nice joke then? Nevertheless, I am open to new ideas, but somehow it seemed necessary for me to put my thoughts down in these words. André
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