Hi David  Well perhaps there is no for sure answer. How about a thought? Loud speakers are not the same as Soundboard panel shape but they don't build them asymmetrically either. Yet the edges of the paper speaker cones are thinner for more flexible response as should soundboard thickness be as evidenced by the location of rib end cut outs and thinner panel over those cut-outs due to diaphragmatic thinning, which is common.   If it is desirable to have a loud speaker pump energy/sound back and forth when projecting sound, does it make sense that a sound board can do the same more efficiently by having its primary energy distribution point, the bridge, more located in the center of the rib & crown?  I need to use the quality of the sound to answer the question.  I don't always judge sound as better or best but view it like Baskin Robbins Ice cream...37 different flavors , and we all like different ones at different times. Right?.    I am for example blown away by a more symmetrical soundboard shape in Ron Overs piano on the Rachmaninoff album entitled Lilacs. Trebles in a range of timber like I've not hears before. I'll have some more please. &...then there was my experience with my D in Eureka I posted about last weekend. Loved the sound, a different flavor, but a stock shape, basically a tight grain rib crowned Sitka board with white spruce ribbing.  All that to say that... to center or not to center influences the sound and if we like it then whistle a happy tune. Beyond that we simply don't have enough information to predict what one will do over another but there are differences that perhaps can be better quantified by spectrum analysis. Or/and maybe hearing different board shapes in a decent small halls under the fingers of pianists.  Dale <div style="clear:both">Dale Erwin... RPT Mason & Hamlin/Steinway/U.S pianos www.Erwinspiano.com 209-577-8397 <tt><tt>     </tt></tt> </div> <div style="font-family:arial,helvetica;font-size:10pt;color:black">-----Original Message----- From: David Love <davidlovepianos@comcast.net> To: pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Mon, May 21, 2012 12:39 pm Subject: Re: [pianotech] S&S K(52) Restoration <div id="AOLMsgPart_0_3174ce55-d8f3-4280-9e0d-4e3cd7702518" style="margin: 0px;font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif;font-size: 12px;color: #000;background-color: #fff;"> <pre style="font-size: 9pt;"><tt>There are several claims and apparent assumptions being made about the benefits having the bridge located in the center of the soundboard. What's that based on? Why would you necessarily want it centered? It suppose it sounds logical to have a centered bridge in terms of load bearing--maybe, but what about the acoustical properties and impedance characteristics when the bridge is centered versus when it's not. I can think of as many arguments for not centering the bridge as I can for centering it. David Love <a href="http://www.davidlovepianos.com" target="_blank">www.davidlovepianos.com</a> </tt></pre> </div>  </div>