Rebuilt Steinway

[Richard Brekne]

Thanks Terry... grin.. ya beat me too it.

Farrell wrote:

> Go to their website. steinway.com - Under "Technical" & then "Soundboard"
>
> Copied from S&S website:
>
> Effect of Cracks and Checks
>
> For this very reason a crack or check in a soundboard reduces the
> soundboard's ability to amplify the vibrations of the strings only to the
> extent to which the crack reduces the vibrating area of the board.
>
> Soundboard areas vary with the size of various pianos, but consider for
> example a board with an area of 4,000 square inches, counting both surfaces.
> Now assume that there is a crack in this board 35 inches long and one-eighth
> inch wide, which would be an enormous crack. That crack would have an area
> (counting both surfaces) of 8 3/4 inches, and so would reduce the air
> disturbing area of the board by less than 1/4 of one per cent, an amount
> utterly negligible.
>
> Here we have considered the effect of an enormously big crack. A dozen
> ordinary cracks, even if they extended from end to end of the soundboard,
> might have about as much effect, certainly no more. So long, in fact, as the
> structure of the soundboard remains solid, with ribs and bridges adhering
> correctly to the surface of the soundboard, and with the entire periphery
> rigidly fastened into the frame of the piano, the question of cracks is
> utterly unimportant.
>
> FYI!
>
> Terry Farrell
> Piano Tuning & Service
> Tampa, Florida
> mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <kam544@flash.net>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2000 8:39 PM
> Subject: Re: Rebuilt Steinway
>
> > >Small cracks in soundboards are in themselves nothing to be concerned
> > >about, and
> > >indeed really nothing to even bother repairing outside of cosmetic
> issues.
> > >Steinway themselves say this and have publicised information to that
> effect...
> > >Richard Brekne...
> >
> > Richard,
> >
> > I'd be interested in reading this information you say Steinway publicises
> > concerning cracked soundboards.  Would you please provide the reference
> > source?
> >
> > Keith McGavern
> > Registered Piano Technician
> > Oklahoma Chapter 731
> > Piano Technicians Guild
> > USA
> >
> >
> >
> >

--
Richard Brekne
RPT, N.P.T.F.
Bergen, Norway