<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2523" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=rol= e_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV> <DIV> <FONT size=3>  Terry</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  Very well said. You took the words out of my mout= h. I <STRONG>don't think</STRONG> any one is saying the a <STRONG>rib crowned</STRONG> board sounds better than a <STRONG>C.C. Board</STRONG>. I believe Del ,Both Rons , & probably You & now me have gone on record= as saying so. What has been said is that the dependabliltiy of maintaining crown  & mechanical impedance qualitys are more dependable over tim= e & less subject to failure. We all have our biasis though. But Consider this</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  Terry you are right ,most small shop ri= b crowners I Know Dry down to a range 5.5 to 6.5.% E.M.C. So some panel compression is still utilized but  crown not dependent on compression t= hat much to form crown or maintain it & even in the driest invirons the crow= n won't shrink out of exisistence.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3> This is dry. This is equal to an environment of 85= or 90 degrees & 25 or 30% R.h. Now any body who's lived thru a dry sum= mer knows this is dry. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  Many C..C.Boards are dried to 4% to 4.5%(or less) Which is more like 100 Degrees plus 15% to 20% R. H. To me this Nevada desert dry.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  This is why the damage to panels In C. C. th= ru compression will be greater given huge swings in climate change. They a= re more reactive because of their inherent panel dryness.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  The other problem with C. C crowning is that it h= as a very narrow range of parameters in order to be successful & live long. I= think the small shop rebuilder has <STRONG>way</STRONG> <STRONG>more</STRONG= > control over the EMC of his/her panels prior to ribbing than most mass produ= ced facilities. If I wanted to build a board this way I would be absolutely sure= that the board was at 4.5%emc.No less &  no more when the board has= it's ribs pressed on.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  All that being said I've heard many fine examples= of both in older pianos. Older rib crowned board are out there but far and few between. I've heard many newer versions I like equally well.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  I have a 1929 Steinwya B Calif. piano. This C.C board has text book crown & bearing. I have documented this when it= was apart. I rebuilt a 1960 L from Fresno same thing.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3> There are no cracks in either board & the tone= just floats. Two small examples but there are many more. I've also heard Older bo= ards with little or no crown or bearing that are magic.   ???</FONT></D= IV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  The reason this can be so is that the mechanical impedance of the system is working with that scale,board shape, crown & bearing for some reason. I find this especially plausible In old As, 2 &= 3.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  I have a 1905 gigantic Ludwig upright that sings = like an soprano with endless air thru out the scale. It has taller than= wide ribs and plenty of them. The board is not cracked up. I do not know it'= s history but it's stunning.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  Viva la difference. When you hear something that'= s working ask why ,marvel & observe the ribbing , it's height/width, no. o= f ribs etc this the way we learn from the folks that have gone before. I'= m grateful to them all. what a great journey.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3> Blessings--- Dale</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> If<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>I believe it would be accurate to say that there is= a continuum between the<BR>two extremes of 100% compression crowning and 100% = rib crowning - it is not<BR>as if there are two distinct schools of thought on t= he subject.<BR><BR>Some lower-end small pianos have been manufactured with super-dry panels,<BR>flat ribs, with the ribs glued to the panel on a flat surface - that process<BR>represents one end of the spectrum (actually, I th= ink many, many, if not<BR>most, vertical pianos have soundboards manufactured li= ke that). The other<BR>end of the spectrum would be no panel drying at all, and= ribs cut/formed to<BR>the desired radius. I am not aware of anyone that is a= t that end of the<BR>spectrum. All the soundboard builders that I am aware of  who build "rib<BR>crowned" soundboard utilize at least some small degree of panel drying prior<BR>to gluing ribs to the panel.<BR><BR>I believ= e most soundboard manufacturers build hybrid soundboards - that is<BR>the ribs= will have some radius cut/formed into them (often the 60-foot<BR>radius one hears of so often) and the panel will receive a fair bit of<BR>drying prior = to ribbing. Steinway even modifies the 100% compression<BR>crowning process by drying the panel, using flat ribs, but gluing them to<BR>the panel in radius= ed cauls. Most builders that utilize some pre-formed<BR>radii to their ribs wil= l glue clamp the ribs to the panel using a matching<BR>radii caul.<BR><BR>I th= ink if you looked at all the soundboard builders in the world, you will<BR>see t= hat continuum in the building process from one extreme to the other (or<BR>nearl= y so).<BR><BR>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>