<HTML><HEAD> <META charset=UTF-8 http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charse= t=utf-8"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1276" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff= f"> <DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 1/31/2004 11:13:01 PM Pacific Standard Time, davidsk= olnik@optonline.net writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue = 2px solid"><FONT face=Arial>John, you said:<BR></FONT> <BLOCKQUOTE class=cite cite="" type="cite"><FONT face=Arial> I = was pointing out that down bearing is an indirect effect. Down bearing is on= e of many factors that control the rate at which the vibrations in the strin= g will flow into the soundboard. It does this by altering the impedance of t= he soundboard in relation to the vibrating string. <B><I>It is not a note by= note or a string by strings effect.</B> </FONT></I><FONT face=Arial>(Ital= ics are mine - DS)</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><FONT face=Arial>So I think you = are saying that having zero or negative downbearing should have no detriment= al effect on the quality of an individual note. Do I have that right? <= STRONG><U> I guess I</U></STRONG> <STRONG><U>would wonder then how many note= s, how large a section would it take for zero or negative downbearing to hav= e a discernable impact?</U></STRONG>  Or to borrow a <FONT size=4><FO= NT size=3>term from the sculptor Richard Serra, how "site-specific" is imp= edance</FONT>?</FONT></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=4>  &nb= sp;    David</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=4>  &nb= sp; I haven't followed this thread closely but in answer to you above underl= ined question I think it could be more a matter more of uneven bearing setti= ng. Many years ago I set uneven bearing accidentally on new board with = a perfect full crown & ended up with notes the had less vitality & t= he resultant sound I describe as thwacking at the sound of impact. Short dec= ay is not helped by voicing (much) This sound is also present in board = with too little impedance. After correcting the problem the sound was normal= . I most often notice this sound in the 4th octave of boards that have lost = crown. I've heard this sound on two new & different-6 ft. Reger Kloss pi= anos with sustain soo short (2-3 seconds) around a-440 to d-5 that the piano= was returned defective only to get another. A law suit was required to solv= e the problem. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=4> Perhaps y= ou could redirect me to you initial question if I've missed the mark. </FONT= ></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT lang=0 face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=3 FAMILY= ="SERIF" PTSIZE="12">Dale Erwin<BR>Erwins Piano Restorations<BR>4721 Par= ker Rd, Modesto, Ca. 95357<BR>erwinspiano@aol.com</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>