Hi Del, You're right, of course. I was speaking from a conceptual, rather than a practical standpoint. The point I was after, and very poorly made, was this. It isn't necessary to have a continuous uninterrupted soundboard panel surface the full length or the rib to have crown. The system doesn't work like a masonry doorway arch, where removal of the keystone causes total collapse, or a cathedral, where removing a flying buttress will bury you in gargoyles. It's not the rim and the continuity of the soundboard panel that holds the crown in a soundboard. Thanks for the clarification. Better be careful though, you might become designated the list's "Technical Watchdog" and have to attend meetings and such. What's that? Oh, well, er, never mind. I see that you already have, and already do. Thanks again, Ron > >The key phrase being, "of sorts." Any soundboard that has been riddled with that many cracks will have sustained so much >fiber damage that it will be pretty much unable to support much in the way of crown. At least not if there is much in the way >of string downbearing. The only time I've been able to measure any crown in a board like this is when there is no downforce >from the strings pushing it down. > >Now it is certainly possible that if the ribs were crowned they could still be supporting soundboard crown. If that were the >case, however, it would be unlikely to find that many cracks in the soundboard panel. > >Del > Ron Nossaman
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