Killer Octave

Ron Nossaman RNossaman@KSCABLE.com
Sat, 08 Sep 2001 18:39:31 -0500


>So I guess the bigger picture is soundboards can have an inherent weak spot
>due to (either) weakness in wood strength, design, or just age, even though
>the bearing and crown under pressure appear to be in good standing.
>Could the idea of the spring, as taboo as it sounds, help alleviate problems
>such as these?
>Tom Servinsky,RPT

Tom, something is missing here. If there was good crown and bearing, what
was your criteria for determination that the piano should have gotten a new
board? Was there indeed measurable positive crown in the area where the
distortion was, rather than in some other part of the board, and was the
distortion there before the strings were replaced? Was there positive
bearing on both the front and back notch of those notes, or just overall
positive bearing speaking segment to duplex? This isn't one of those
mystical soundboard things that just happens and nobody understands why.
There is a reason for it. How about some specifics? There is also a
conceptual problem here that is nearly universal among us piano tech types.
Installing a needed soundboard is not spending extra money. Not installing
a needed soundboard is not doing all of the required job to cut costs. I
know, that doesn't make the problems go away when the customer won't spend
the money, but I thought it was time that was said.

Would springs help? I have no idea. I've never tried it. 

Ron N


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