<HTML><HEAD> <META charset=US-ASCII http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; cha= rset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1400" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff= f"> <DIV> <DIV>           &nbsp= ; Hi Julia</DIV> <DIV>   The list just had quite a discussion on it 2 weeks ago. Ch= eck archives.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>        Regards--Dale</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue = 2px solid"><FONT face=Arial>Hi Julia,<BR><BR>Downbearing is the force the = strings on a grand piano apply to the bridge.<BR>Hence the name "downbearing= ". It is important there be some, just how<BR>"much" would vary with the spe= cific design of the piano. It is also<BR>important that there be "crown" on = the soundboard. If the soundboard has<BR>collaspsed--it is still possible if= the plate is low enough that there will<BR>be "downbearing".<BR><BR>With ne= gative downbearing the strings will not touch the top of the bridge.<BR><BR>= Postive crown and positive downbearing are usually considered to be<BR>desir= eable for an instrument to sound well. <BR><BR><BR>At 11:11 AM 2/19/2004 EST= , you wrote:<BR>>Greetings,<BR>> <BR>>        &= nbsp;  What exactly is downbearing? Does it affect the sound of the<BR>= >piano or is it a mechanical/ physics measurement for the playability of = the<BR>>piano? Why is it important to measure it? Can it be calculated by= a<BR>>formula(e)? What does it mean?<BR>> </FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>