<!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=4>  List</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>     I find this kind of thing fun w= hen I can take a beautiful piece of previously engineered something and adapt it t= o something else saving big time & cash & utilizing something tha= t originally was very expensive to make & end up with a nice result</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>  A client brought in a 1900 ish Baldwin upright th= at ended up needing more than it first appeared, including a board. It was= n't worth doing so the decision was made to scrap it. The tech who brought in th= e job wanted the beams & such for the maple & I'll be able to salvage the spruce in the lam. beams also. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>    The real jewel though was that this p= iano had a laminated soundboard liner just like Mason or Stwy grands & uprights ( not as thick as a grand ).  I managed to get it off in nearl= y one piece with crow bars, chisels & an Oklahama speed wrench.</FONT></DI= V> <DIV><FONT size=4>    Now coincidently I'm replacing the bo= ard in a 6 ft. 1 inch Mason AA no. 28,246  which has ribs so long a cutoff bar= was <U>really</U> a necessity.    </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>    The old Upright board liner had plent= y of stock for this & by fashioning it to fit the corner of the AA I was able= to install a straight 28 inch cut off bar that reduced the overall length of&nb= sp;6 ribs as much as 13.5 inches. My longest rib was 50" & one of the  longest I've ever witnessed in any piano. This rib is now about 37.5 inches long. I don't believe its possible to use ribs this long and expect c= rown support for very long. Although my observations of the  AA's = is limited the 13 rib scale has shown the crown has not survived= even with tension resonator claims. Hence the few AA boards I= 've seen  are usually quite flat. The sound of this piano though fair = was quite lack luster in its tonal appeal if you know what I mean even though th= e board was not seriously cracked up</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>   The Mason AA has a very wide body & hen= ce very long ribs for a 6 ft 1" piano</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>   The original rib scale was as follows on th= e left</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>   For clarity the </FONT><FONT size=4>measu= rements below are the actual rib speaking length not including the piece in the notches.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>   </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>   1. 30     &nb= sp; in inches</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>  <STRONG> 2. 37</STRONG></FONT></DI= V> <DIV><FONT size=4>   3. 45 --------38  modified length</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>   4. 50 --------37.5</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>   5. 46  -------35.5</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>   6. 40 --------32.5  </FONT><= /DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>   7. 34 --------29.5</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>   8. 28 --------27</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>   9. 28</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>  10. 20</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>  11.18</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>  12. 15</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>  13. 13</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>  It's easy to see there is far more hope= s for the longevity of rib & crown stiffness than the previous scale. this mod= also get the bridge more nearly centered over the long ribs which is IMO a g= ood thing.This original bridge also has the  transition bridge with all the= usual funky tri-chords. It's receiving a modified trans. bridge with bi-chord replacements.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>  I'll let you know how it turns out in a month or = so. The action is done & case stripped. The parts are in the finish process waiting for the belly man to get it done so my finish guy(Roy) can have= the case & plate.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>   Good new year to all</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>    Dale Erwin</FONT></DIV> <DIV>    </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>   <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"= >Erwins Pianos Restorations <BR>4721 Parker Rd.<BR>Modesto, Ca 95357<BR>209-577-8397<BR>Reb= uilt Steinway , Mason &Hamlin Sales<BR>www.Erwinspiano.com</FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>