A440A@aol.com (Ed Foote) wrote: > > I think of the crown and downbearing as two components of an > acoustical containment and production system. In this sense, they > cannot be viewed as separate. Could be thought of in that way, but in other ways, they certainly can be separate. Some pianos (not too many) have been designed with **negative** crown. That is, the board curves downward in a grand. But the bridge is extra high - tall enough to have downbearing. Regarding crown on a strung, up to pitch piano, I can pass along what we learned at school in Ludwigsburg, Germany. That is: **theoretically** the best position for the soundboard is absolutely flat across. Then, there is the least cramping of the board and it is the most free to vibrate to its full potential. However, for **practical** purposes (changes in humidity, for example) there should be SOME crown left in the board as a safety factor. Other practical considerations are that the board fits snugly all along the outer rim and that it is glued down securely onto the inner rim. Any lapse in these may cause less efficiency for the soundboard to do its job. Joel Rappaport Round Rock, Texas
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