> The O I'm currently ushering out the door this week has a >> redesigned board . I added a modest straight cutoff bar. I also added >> an extra rib for more support in the treble so that in the first capo >> section there are three ribs supporting the killer octave. These >> taller less wide ribs are also fanned into the treble. > > > I believe all are worthwhile initiatives, the cut-off really helps the > mid section of the treble bridge to gain in stiffness, improving the > tonal focus - removing that boomy undertone that can often be heard in > the middle register. It also results in shortened middle order ribs > which have more of a chance of surviving more just the first few seasons. Altogether good stuff. > The first capo section for most conventionally bellied instruments, > including the O, is the most grossly overloaded section of the entire > board. The addition of an extra rib provides not only extra stiffness > but extra mass. The mass increase will almost certainly help to yield > more sustain. As will the stiffness. In that part of the scale, stiffness still has more affect than mass. > Indeed, when we added rib extensions (which significantly increased the > overall rib height) to the 1968 CF Yamaha we rebuilt recently, the > increase in sustain in the first capo section was most noticeable. > Strangely enough, it seemed to have improved power also. I can only put > this down to the possibility that the stiffer/heavier panel had improved > efficiency relative to the standard item. Theoretically, if the sustain > is increased, the power at the first part of tonal development should > decrease. I've noticed this too. My current thinking is that the dieing of tone in the middle of the envelope is more noticeable than the high volume in the attack. A lower attack volume, and a higher middle volume is perceived as a more powerful tone. At least that's Thursday's take. We tend to evaluate impressions of the total, rather than to break it down chronologically. >> In the best pianos you & I have heard, the tone floats & lingers >> with a great bloom . I am very pleased this board design really makes >> the O sing with more power clarity & sustain than any I've heard.. > > > Its a wonderful thing. 'Tis, and doable. I'm hooked. Ron N
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