Soundboard Evaluation

[Ron Nossaman]

> Piano sounds a
>bit weak and has a bad killer octave area. I measured for downbearing with
>the goofy little three point brass thingee. Absolutely ZERO downbearing on
>the whole long bridge. Everywhere. Zero. Never saw that before. 

First, congratulations on the keybed. Good show. Then, a question. How does
one tell the difference between zero and negative bearing with a rocker
gage? It's a moot point, I suppose, since they're so close together at the
bottom of the bearing rating scale chart, but still.


>...  and zero crown for the upper treble section (exactly where the
>killer octave area starts!) and the high treble section.
--------------------
>I clearly feel a new soundboard is needed to bring the piano up to its
>potential. But, playing devil's advocate, most of the board has good crown -
>why not just recap the bridges and put in appropriate downbearing - although
>admittedly this would be tough in the high treble where there is already a
>flat board - although hard to measure the little bit of crown that
>would/should be there.

So we have the situation where the board is flat in the same area where the
bearing is non existent in the same area where the sound is terrible. And
the other indications of a dead board are????? Wouldn't it be interesting
if it averaged out to the overall median throughout? 


>I say if the plate is coming out for new bridge caps, give it a new board
>also - otherwise they will likely have a very lackluster bla piano.
>Waddayasay???
>
>Terry Farrell

I say you're right, and since you have built that fine new keybed for it,
it will be the piano that you "rebuilt" that will have that sound. 

Ron N