Soundboard types.. was The soundboard bit.

[RicB]

Hi Dale

All other perceptions and issues aside.... what you describe below is 
actually my big hope for the industry at large.  It has seemed apparent 
to me for a long time that the potential for the <<one man shop>> to 
make the absolute best instruments around is a moment just waiting for 
its time.  I'm actually amazed that mass production in its many forms 
ends up doing as well as it does.  But the potential for quality that 
lies in the <<one man shop>> really can outstrip any factory IMHO.  Its 
just a concept waiting for its time in this industry I think.  Let the 
mass production pianos be for the masses.... and let the serious 
pianists of the world finally wake up to the fact that music is not 
about predictability... especially since that is largely an illusion to 
begin with.... and open up for a world of tonality and quality that 
could exist if they would just start looking more seriously at 
individual piano makers (persons) for their instruments instead of known 
name manufacturers.

Cheers
RicB


    Ric
        In my practice when someone orders a An RC  board the ones I
    make will
    transfer much of the load bearing  capacity to  the ribbing. Be
    aware that  in
    my RC boards the ribs are made taller  & of stiffer materials with
    tight radii
    The compression componenet will  vary between 5 to 5.5% mc at time
    of pressing
    depending on what type of climate  the piano is going to. 
    Nevada/Arizona
    etc. gets the lower  MC & the bay area gets 6% or higher. In either
    case, because
    of  prevailing MC in the mentioned climate, the panel compression
    will end up
    being  roughly similar at there final destinations. Customization is
    great.
    If I  had to ascribe a percentage of crown support from this type of
    board I'd
    just be  guessing at 20 to 30% as opposed to a purelly C.C. design.
      All boards must benefit from the interface..hey it's a  form of
    plywood.
    Beyond that it's many variable dynamic stresses in the panel  that
    make it
    work....or not.
     Dale

        A RC  board can be said to have curved ribs... but beyond that
        it can
        either  rely largely on panel compression and the stress
        interface this
        creates  with the ribs, or it can be a pure RC and S board.  All
        depends
        on  how much compression the whole assembly process ends up
        putting into
        the  board.

        Cheers
        RicB