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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi all,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>OK, there's something about my piano =
(1933
Wissner 9') that seems odd (in my limited experience), =
and I've
just got to ask. My soundboard ribs have an unusual structure (I =
think),
and I'm uncertain as to the purpose. Most of the ribs are "tied" =
together
with one of two small cross-braces. Counting from the keyboard, =
high
treble end of the soundboard, the first brace </FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2>starts around the center, keyboard-end of the soundboard at rib =
8 and
continues leftward and towards the tail through rib 13. Then =
from the
other end of rib 13 (right side of the piano), another brace starts and =
extends
towards rib 17 in the tail. Ribs 1-7 and rib 18 have
no cross-braces. Here are some photos:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://www.wonderfulhome.info/soundboard1.jpg">www.wonderfulhome.=
info/soundboard1.jpg</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://www.wonderfulhome.info/soundboard1.jpg">www.wonderfulhome.=
info/soundboard1.jpg</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://www.wonderfulhome.info/soundboard1.jpg">www.wonderfulhome.=
info/soundboard1.jpg</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The ribs on the cross-brace end are not smoothly tapered the way I =
think of
most ribs being. Rather, they are reduced in tiers, and the =
cross-braces
run across the tiers. The rib ends without cross-bracing are =
tapered in
the conventional manner.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>So... Why was this done? Was it a way of stiffening the =
soundboard? Was it a way of bracing the crown, which is quite a =
lovely
one. The bass on this piano is incredibly rich, powerful, and =
mellow, and
the sustain is unbelievable. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The age of the soundboard? My guess is that it was the =
original
one. It is in uncommonly good condition for a 70 yr =
old soundboard
(no significant cracks, high crown), but nothing about the remainder of =
the
piano suggests the soundboard might have been replaced. The screws =
holding
on the cross-braces, by the way, are quite dark -- a bit too dark for =
1971
vintage -- probably oxidized since 1933. The action was apparently =
replaced in 1971. I suspect the bass strings were =
replaced
at that time as well. But the remaining strings were probably left =
in
place, as about half of them appear to be original. I think =
the
pinblock is original -- still holds a tune, no cracks, but with a
few marginally loose pins. The more recent string =
replacements,
other than the bass, were done incompetently, probably not by the =
same
person who did the action (which was well done). Anyway, the =
overall
condition of the piano suggests the 1971 job was not a complete rebuild, =
by a
long shot. I'm thinking that the soundboard cross-braces were =
probably of Otto Wissner's doing.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Has anyone else done this? If so, why?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Oh, Terry... Do you remember bracing such as this on that =
church's 9'
Wissner? I think you said it's all original and of similar
vintage. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Thanks, everyone.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Peace,</DIV>
<DIV>Sarah</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>