[Files] G-2 soundboard modification

[Erwinspiano at aol.com]

Fellow belly heads

   As time goes by I'm starting to have more opportunity  to attempt
improvements on Models of Pianos that IMO need it.  My Father   
Harold, to the right of
me sold Yamaha pianos for 20 years.  To me  the  5 -7" G-2 for some  
reason was
quite a boring sounding piano.   We are currently giving a fairly  
inexpensive
face list to a 30 year old  G-2.  It always had a stingy sound & not  
a very
interesting tonal  envelope.  We took it in for a hammer transplant &  
strings &
in  the process discovered some of the reason it is stingy.  The 5 ft  
& 7  "
piano has a .400 thick Sika spruce panel.  Not all over but  
mostly  .  The
thinnest spot I coud find was >380.  The panel has  very tight grain  
as in 25 to
30 grains an inch.  It has  adequate crown & bearing with compression  
visible
in the panel &  moderate compression ridges in evidence....

   SO I decided to diaphramize this tubby little beast  to seek  
improvement. I
drilled small access holes (1.5mm) at the perimeter  thru the board  
in the
curved section under the plate. The nose bolt holes  also serve this  
purpose.
This allows for the wire end of a caliper to  protrude thru the holes  
& the
taking of  initial  measurements & also to track progess.

   I employ a low angle Lie- Nielsen smoothing   plane for the bulk  
of removal
of wood.  I'm aiming to get about .340 ish  in the middle & about . 
300 or
less around the tail & behind the bass  bridge. The flat side & the  
belly rail
also were thinned.  My goal to  create a thinner more flexible dome  
shaped
panel.

     A small bull nose type planes allowed for access in tight places  
such as
the bass bridge to rim. .  Interestingly each plank of the board was  
laid
out so that it had opposing grain or in other words I had to reverse the
direction of planing to reduce tear out on each panel.  The tight  
hard  grain wanted
to really tear out every chance it got.  The small plane with   
approximately
5/8" blade also reduced tear out & surprisingly I did a lot of  grain  
tear
clean up with the small bull nose without further  damage.

   After thorough & appropriate  sanding  we sealed with shellac & then
proceeded with  Lacquer sealer & gloss top coats folowed a good hand  
rub out
followed by  machine buffing with swirl removers which  made it look  
quite shiny  but
& not as glossy  looking as polyester. (Nothing wrong with  shiny)The
original poly coat was 10 mils thick. The 8 coats of lacquer I bet   
is 5. Nothing
wrong with 10 mils either IMO

    The boom or tap test really went from thuddy  & tight near the  
edges to
vibrant & boom in the middle sounded much  more free.  Trix is half thru
stringing it and I will report on the final  out come in a week or  
so.  I consulted
with Ron O. about floating the  bass but because of fiscal restraints  
passed on
the idea. We are using Jolly  loops on the first 10 bass mono chord  
notes to
set some of backscale  free.

   All in all we probably spent about 3 ish hours  planing & sanding  
less than
3 ish hours for the rest. No more than 8  hours

   It will be an interesting project & beleive it  will prove to make  
the poor
girls intrument far more interesting & she  deserves it.

    Having fun here

    Dale Erwin

http://tinyurl.com/oeent

http://ptg.org/pipermail/files/attachments/20060305/0ab9405b/ 
attachment-0010.jpe
     Dad tells me I'm nuts below...again......

http://tinyurl.com/qsml7

http://ptg.org/pipermail/files/attachments/20060305/0ab9405b/ 
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Trix sanding below  & doing some of the dirty work

http://tinyurl.com/rosh8

http://ptg.org/pipermail/files/attachments/20060305/0ab9405b/ 
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    Below cutting behind the bass bridge with the small plane

http://tinyurl.com/npzzk
http://tinyurl.com/ngelu

http://ptg.org/pipermail/files/attachments/20060305/0ab9405b/ 
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http://ptg.org/pipermail/files/attachments/20060305/0ab9405b/ 
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   sanded & ready to shoot below

http://tinyurl.com/sxwdv
http://tinyurl.com/m2xwg

http://ptg.org/pipermail/files/attachments/20060305/0ab9405b/ 
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http://ptg.org/pipermail/files/attachments/20060305/0ab9405b/ 
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    Below
   Other than my *0 year old Dad posing, the front dark edge of the  
panel is clearly visible & is easy to see & measure thickness with  
calipers. I usually take note of this in most pianos for mental notes  
& reference

http://tinyurl.com/qzllz
http://ptg.org/pipermail/files/attachments/20060305/0ab9405b/ 
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   Finishing complete & stringing in progress

http://tinyurl.com/nu4xf
http://ptg.org/pipermail/files/attachments/20060305/0ab9405b/ 
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http://tinyurl.com/rerhj
http://ptg.org/pipermail/files/attachments/20060305/0ab9405b/ 
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    Best regards. Get out yer planes & fly

  Dale Erwin

Dale Erwin--Piano Restorations
4721 Parker Rd.
Modesto, Calif 95357
Shop 209-577-8397
cell 209-985-0990
http://www.erwinspiano.com/
Specializing in the restoration, service & Sales of
Steinway, Mason & Hamlin, & other fine pianos

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