<HTML>In a message dated 8/10/2003 = 10:41:17 AM Pacific Daylight Time, dnu@fx.ro writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT= : 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Subj: Soundboard crown Date: 8/10/2003 10:41:17 AM Pacific Daylight Time From: <A HREF="mailto:dnu@fx.ro">dnu@fx.ro</A> Reply-to: <A HREF="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>= To: <A HREF="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> Sent from the Internet             More ofte= n than not a soundboard needs crown to produce the kind of musical tone we e= xpexct from a legitimate sounding piano. Though it sounds like heresy I have= heard some amazingly good sounding flat or virtually flat boards. And some = had considerable bearing.</BLOCKQUOTE>    Most of these were stwys but not always. and these pianos are t= he exception and not the   rule.    To my mind If a client is considering a  rebuilding <BLOCK= QUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px;= MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">project on such a   </= BLOCKQUOTE>    piano the issue=   becomes one of sound board longevity and integrity.   =     Other  f<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2p= x solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">actors, suc= h as, does it make sense to put new bridge     </BLOCKQU= OTE>    caps,block, act= ions etc. on an old flat board if an optimal result is the <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT= : 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">desired outcome?</BLOCKQUOTE>    &nbs= p;   A harpsichord ihas a very thin board and no plate. The struct= ure is light and has trouble staying tuned as it is even with no bearing. I = admit to knowing little about harpsichords except that they have little tens= ion and a light sound. As to the question of why a piano soundboard needs ad= equate crown and downbearing the simple answer is because we know they sound= better  both in the quality of tone and in its ability to produce volu= mne/power. I'll let others cover the theory as they're better at it than I. =   Regards---Dale Erwin<= BR> <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT= : 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px"> Hello! I have followed the numeorus discussions on this list oabout rib-crowned vs.= compression crowned soundboards with great interest. However, I am asking myself if a soundboard always needs  crown in orde= r to work properly? I heard about some old pianos with no measurable crown that sound very good.= I have even seen some where no crown seemed left, yet the performance was<BR= > very good. I read that harpsichords do not have crowned boards (except the<B= R> Italian ones). So, why is a crown necessary? Would a flat board, but with enough downbearing for teh strings, work or not? Regards, Calin Tantareanu ---------------------------------------------------- http://calintantareanu.tripod.com ---------------------------------------------------- </BLOCKQUOTE> </HTML>