Soundboard crown

Erwinspiano@aol.com Erwinspiano@aol.com
Sun, 10 Aug 2003 14:40:44 EDT


---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
In a message dated 8/10/2003 10:41:17 AM Pacific Daylight Time, dnu@fx.ro 
writes:

> Subj: Soundboard crown 
>  Date: 8/10/2003 10:41:17 AM Pacific Daylight Time
>  From: <A HREF="mailto:dnu@fx.ro">dnu@fx.ro</A>
>  Reply-to: <A HREF="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>
>  To: <A HREF="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>
>  Sent from the Internet 
> 
>             More often than not a soundboard needs crown to produce the kind 
> of musical tone we expexct from a legitimate sounding piano. Though it 
> sounds like heresy I have heard some amazingly good sounding flat or virtually 
> flat boards. And some had considerable bearing.
   Most of these were stwys but not always. and these pianos are the 
exception and not the   rule. 
   To my mind If a client is considering a  rebuilding > project on such a    
   piano the issue  becomes one of sound board longevity and integrity.     
  Other  f> actors, such as, does it make sense to put new bridge     
   caps,block, actions etc. on an old flat board if an optimal result is the 
> desired outcome?

       A harpsichord ihas a very thin board and no plate. The structure is 
light and has trouble staying tuned as it is even with no bearing. I admit to 
knowing little about harpsichords except that they have little tension and a 
light sound. As to the question of why a piano soundboard needs adequate crown 
and downbearing the simple answer is because we know they sound better  both in 
the quality of tone and in its ability to produce volumne/power. I'll let 
others cover the theory as they're better at it than I. 
  Regards---Dale Erwin

> 
> Hello!
> 
> I have followed the numeorus discussions on this list oabout rib-crowned vs.
> compression crowned soundboards with great interest.
> However, I am asking myself if a soundboard always needs  crown in order to
> work properly?
> I heard about some old pianos with no measurable crown that sound very good.
> I have even seen some where no crown seemed left, yet the performance was
> very good. I read that harpsichords do not have crowned boards (except the
> Italian ones).
> So, why is a crown necessary?
> Would a flat board, but with enough downbearing for teh strings, work or
> not?
> 
> Regards,
> 
> 
> Calin Tantareanu
> ----------------------------------------------------
> http://calintantareanu.tripod.com
> ----------------------------------------------------
> 


---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/6a/10/fd/df/attachment.htm

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--

This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC