Acoustic Memory

[Delwin D Fandrich]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tony Caught" <caute@optusnet.com.au>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: June 09, 2001 11:22 PM
Subject: Re: Acoustic Memory



>  It is my impression that the tone of a modern new piano remains the same
> for the first few years then in pianos starts to deteriorate, slowly in
> quality pianos and faster in others. Yet in the older pianos where the
> soundboard timber was open air seasoned (as against the modern kiln
drying)
> does not deteriorate to the same degree and possibly not at all except for
> grain compression problems.

This is certainly a question that is open to debate. Those manufacturers
that use only air-dried lumber certainly make a big deal out of it. Those
that don't obviously don't. The wood technologists I know tell me that if
wood is properly kiln-dried it is impossible to tell the difference. The key
word being 'properly.' Kiln operators are getting better at this as
computers more and more take over the drying schedule.

Keep in mind, as well, that any manufacturer that compression-crowns their
boards get the wood up to a fairly high temperature and hold it there for
some considerable period of time--until the wood moisture content stabilizes
at around 4.0%. From the woods perspective there is not a lot of difference
between this practice and traditional kiln-drying.



> It is my opinion that a soundboard that is crowned by ribs only will last
> longer in quality of tone than any other and that if the board is also
open
> air seasoned, it will last even longer. Also that a board made that way
will
> improve in tone after it has been played for some time.

This has generally been our experience as well, except for the part about
air-seasoned lumber. Once the piano is built, how do you tell? Unless you
know the practices of the manufacturer, of course.

Regards,

Del