<!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><FONT size=3>    Ric</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  I received your apologies & I'm not surprised= by your comments for I find them typical, but for the record It does = seem to me that you enjoy taking pot shots at people who probalby really do know something based on  not only theory but on a whole heck of a lot of expereince which you yourself confess you didn't have. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>    Any way ,Thank you for the compliment for = I'm always happy to be under the influence of innovative well thought folks in o= ur field. <U>I listen to them</U> &then  run it by my own expereince.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>    For my self I have been under the inf= luence of many <STRONG>other</STRONG> fine belly man including that of many greatly experienced but deceased belly men of the past who have us= ed some of the designs called "Modern" that  truly had magic sounds but we= re not conventionally excepted at the times But <U>I listen to them anyway</U>.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>    I've written about them in the past o= ften & in an open & fair minded way. They had ideas that were probably no= t popularized by convention at the time as is also the case now ,but= those designs were mostly successful non the less. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>    I.e.. The  reverse crowned board= s made by Becker, Sohmer ,Julius Bower& others.  Every one which sings wit= h incredible freedom but  have yet to self destruct as was the concern. Those I've seen ,are still wholly intact. <U>I listen to</U> <U>them.</U></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  Also rib crowned boards from Knabe,Ludwig & o= thers from the past  with crown & <STRONG>magic sound</STRONG> still intact.<U> I listen to them</U>. </FONT><FONT size=3>Boards with taller th= an wider ribs seem to hold up exceptionally well in the crown & tone department. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  Other Makes such as Bluethner employed graceful sweeping cutoff bars as far back as 1905 which employ the use of shorte= ned ribs for prolonged crown support. Un fortunately the ribs were not tall enou= gh in this case to provide crown longevity but they were onto something &<U= > I listen to them.</U></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3> I've also installed at least 60 board of various designs , rib configuration & EMC levels. Used  Every concievable varity of spruce. Panels  of Thinner & thicker dimesions. Some tapered greatly others not much at all. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3> <U>They've each told me a story & so many thin= gs work.  </U></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  & yes, compresion crowned boards when certain Narrow parameters are met & extremes in climate h= ave been mitigated . Many have wildly glorious tone , even when they're cra= cked up & lost significant crown/bearing. <U>I listen to them too.  I</U= > I've learned so much from John Hartman ,David Hughes, Nick Gravnge . The eve= r eloquent Robin Hufford is saying something currently I'm trying to understan= d as well.  l listen to him as well  &  <U>The list is long</U>. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  What I want to say is quit pissin in the wind Bro= ther & listen to what people are saying. Enjoy the collegiality of this list = with out acting as if the facts & findings of others don't matter. Or that <STRONG>you ,I or we</STRONG> have to know the very last fact about soundboard mechanics before we can just sit back & enjoy the music of gr= eat piano music in different mechanical design features. I'll love the= sound of any glorious sound coming out of a piano regardless of what design = it has. I'm very unbiased about that. If you send me a case & want a C.C. b= oard I'll make you one! ... happily. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>     The modern thrust is how can we= take the best of these ideas an move the design forward so that it holds up , gives repeatable consistent results & perhaps an even more incred= ible sustain or color. Just maybe....................</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  It's an art to agree to disagree with people= & still be friends but at the end of the passionate or dispassionate discourse= & discussion were all artisan with something to say. Including you.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  Your public opinions are well known so I don't co= nsider your post or this one of mine here to be any more less appropriate than this= </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>   Dale Erwin</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000= 000 size=2>You wrote</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000= 000 size=2>Yes, I remember that 3 years ago very well. You present post is the= first <BR>I've seen that effectively counter addresses many of the claims that hav= e <BR>been made by the Ron, Del, and Ron show... with supporting roles played = by <BR>Terry and Dale.<BR><BR>I get along very well with both Terry and Dale, a= nd believe they are just <BR>under the influence of the other three, as there h= as been really no <BR>alternative for them. So I am greatfull that you are able= to take the time.</FONT></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>