The Soundboard bit.. was Steinways / David Andersen

[Ron Nossaman]

> I think one of the big differences between the design/manufacture of a 
> Yamaha soundboard vs. a S&S soundboard is that the S&S utilizes flat 
> ribs, whereas - I think - I'm pretty sure - but I could be wrong - 
> Yamaha uses curved ribs cut to some radius. I think most other 
> manufacturers also use curved ribs - but I am definitely not up on who 
> uses what. 

You are correct. This particular point has been made dozens of 
times in the many previous iterations of this same old discussion.


>Are there any other manufacturers that use flat ribs?

I don't know of any, but there may be. If there were, I 
suspect we'd be getting more posts asking what kind of hammer 
dope to use to get some tone and sustain out of octaves 5-6 in 
something other than NY Steinways.


  > So I guess you could call a S&S board a pure 
compression-crowned
> soundboard and something like a Yamaha soundboard (if, of course, I am 
> correct about their general soundboard manufacturing methods) as having 
> compression and rib supported crown.
> 
> Terry Farrell

This is where and why the differentiation between Compression 
Crowned, Rib Crowned (with unspecified panel support), and Rib 
Crowned and Supported came about - so it wouldn't have to be 
gone through from kindergarten yet again. Steinway NY builds 
CC boards, and most everyone else on the planet builds RC 
boards. A few of us small shop rebuilders are designing, 
building, and installing RC&S boards. Currently, I don't think 
there is a RC&S board piano being produced commercially. I 
expect that to change, hopefully soon.

 
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>> Get over it.  I don't think we're all saying that only S&S boards are 
>> [bad] or whatever.  I think the main point here remains that a company 
>> that claims to be the best in the world, should be producing a top 
>> quality product. Their soundboards are not.  Neither are their 
>> actions, for that matter.  So if it confuses the issue for you to 
>> think that S&S pianos have problems with soundboards in addition to 
>> other problems, I think that is for you to reconcile, not the list.

I agree. Thank you.


>> Interesting, though that you point out:
>>
>> "Now why only Steinways... who are a bit more moderate then some in 
>> how much they dry out their panels then some to begin with....."
>>
>> Do you think that the fact that their boards are not dried as much 
>> could contribute to problems?
>>
>> Best,
>> William R. Monroe

As has also been addressed many times, Steinway NY also 
presses rib and panel into a caul that is curved considerably 
deeper than the resulting crown will be. This puts more 
compression into the panel than the MC levels alone would do 
in a flat caul. Compression is compression, whether it's 
arrived at by rehydration or mechanical means.
Ron N