<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD><TITLE></TITLE> <META http-equiv=Content-Type = content=text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2802" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY text=#000000 bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV> Soundboard Created like the soundboard of violins to = give a free and even response throughout the entire scale, As in carved? it is so constructed as to be 8 mm thick in the center and = tapered to 56 mm (typo?) as it approaches the rim = and outer case before being DOUBLE CROWNED. But which way? My brand new 1098 had a full 6 mm of negative crown! When I called S&S = in NY and asked to speak to technical representatives, they were unable to tell me = which way a S&S soundboard should be crowned. This design permits complete freedom of movement, Suggesting no energy loss? Neat trick! while acting as a homogenous unit to displace a greater amount of = air, thereby creating a richer and more lasting tonal response. = Close-grained, quarter-sawn Sitka spruce, a wood having unusual stability and vibrance = under stress and vibration, is used exclusively for the soundboard. Ribs Made from durable, resinous sugar pine to assure = strong and constant support of string down-bearing on the soundboard. Hmmm. So the S&S vertical has rib supported crown? Rib ends are hand-fitted into their mounting surfaces virtually = locking in the important soundboard crown. Well, this much appears to be true - I pounded and = pounded on my 1098 soundboard and could not get the negative crown to reverse into = positive crown - I figured if I hit it hard enough that maybe it would "oil can" = and pop back to a more proper configuration.....   ;-) Bridges Treble: Hard rock maple vertical laminations = capped with solid hard rock maple; planed to prescribed height, graphite = coated, drilled, and notched by hand for precise individual string bearing. = Design defies splitting. Solid maple defies splitting? Seems to me I've seen = this design split. Bass: Solid rock maple mounted to cantilevered at splined base. = Maple doweled, glued, and screwed to soundboard. Marketing is an amazing thing. My wife and I enjoy = walking down the cosmetic isle at the bulk food store - "buy our new wrinkle cream - = with aqua botanical exfoliants". Botanical-exfoliants, double-crowned - same thing. Terry Farrell</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black">From: <A title=ricbrek@broadpark.no = href="mailto:ricbrek@broadpark.no">Ric Brekne</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">To: <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">Sent: Wednesday, February 15, = 2006 5:15 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">Subject: Steinway 1098</DIV> <DIV> </DIV>Just ran into this on the net... looking for something = else... Its from Steinways website. Thought some of you might find it .... = well interesting. Cheers RicB </BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>