soundboards improving with age? or what else?

[Delwin D Fandrich]

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  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Richard Brekne=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: June 08, 2001 1:00 PM
  Subject: Re: soundboards improving with age? or what else?


   =20
  And yet, I, with my ears, state that a newly built Steinway (to name =
an=20
  instrument) sounds better than an old one.=20
  So now, my question remains :=20

    WHY?
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  Perhaps the answer to your question is simply.... "because you want it =
to sound better"  Perhaps its something more tangeable. Maybe there is =
some aura left from the living tree...grin... or perhaps Del and his =
camp are right... in which case there is something wrong with your =
ears... hehe.=20

  All I know... is what I said at the outset... we dont have the answer =
to that question yet. Tho undoubtably there are those who are convinced =
we do... all over the place.=20

Now why would you say this, Richard? This is precisely what I have been =
saying happens right along. The effect Andre is referring to is =
predictable, understandable, and explainable.=20

Of course Andre is hearing what he is hearing. And he is hearing it =
accurately. Steinway soundboards are compression-crowned boards. Over =
time, with the soundboard loaded, the soundboard panel is undergoing =
fairly continuous changes. It is under compression across-grain, =
remember? The wood fibers are taking on compression-set and the =
expansion force that formed and maintained the boards initial crown is =
dissipating. The board is collapsing. In the process it is losing some =
of its stiffness. As this happens the piano's sustain time is decreasing =
and the tone quality is becoming more percussive. That is what happens =
as a soundboard loses its crown.

Regards,

Del


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