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<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT =
face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> =
pianotech-bounces@ptg.org
[mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Ron & Lorene =
Shiflet<BR><B>Sent:</B> February 24, 2005 5:53 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
Piano-Tech<BR><B>Subject:</B> veneer over =
soundboards<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>I tore apart 2 Lester spinets. The one made in '46 had =
a solid
spruce soundboard and several cracks. The one made =
in '57
appeared to be a nice flawless spruce board with no cracks. I =
very
carefully removed it. It turned out to be a plywood =
soundboard
covered with a beautiful grainy veneer on both =
sides. Perhaps
that's why it had no cracks? Perhaps that's also why it had =
the tone it did. </DIV>
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<DIV>Today, my son is gutting an old Kimball spinet with =
a mahogany
soundboard. It too turns out to be veneer over plywood. =
Tomorrow
we'll get into a Story and Clark console with the famous =
"Storytone"
soundboard, made of mahogany. I may prove to be wrong but I have =
a
suspicion that I'm going to find mahogany veneer over
plywood.</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
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<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=515073315-25022005><FONT face="Comic Sans =
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color=#000080>What do you mean by "veneer over plywood?" Plywood =
soundboard
panels (or, if you want to use the expensive word, laminated soundboard =
panels)
are usually three-ply. A core material of some kind with front and back =
veneers,
usually biased at 90º.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=515073315-25022005><FONT face="Comic Sans =
MS"
color=#000080>Del</FONT></SPAN></DIV></BODY></HTML>