Fw: Soundboard Evaluation

[Farrell]

Here is my completed post from the other day:

 Well Ron, I gotta hand it to you. You hit this one right on target. You
said:

> > > How does
> > > one tell the difference between zero and negative bearing with a
rocker
> > > gage?

I thought you would be able to see negative bearing with the rocker gauge.
Well, I finally got my Lowell Component Gauge working again and rechecked
downbearing on that piano. Pretty big reverse bearing. The reason I did not
send the post right away was that I was looking for my Lowell instructions
regarding exactly what the little lines on the bubble gauge mean. Anyway, I
leveled the bubble on the forward string section, and then observed the
bubble on the backscale. It went up to three lines the wrong way.

So I guess that explains why I observed such nice (up to) 1/8" crown
centered so nicely on the long bridge. Wonder how that board would look with
the strings gone? Maybe it could be used for mixing big party salads!

I can hardly wait to get the action functional in the piano so that I can
play it (er, a.....have my wife play it) and compare it to a decent piano.
I'm looking forward to this being a good education for me because I have not
had the opportunity to carefully listen to and evaluate a piano that I know
SHOULD sound like garbage and directly compare it to one that SHOULD sound
decent (my Boston grand).

I'll be using my component gauge more often in the future. Thanks.

Terry Farrell

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Friday, June 15, 2001 6:51 AM
> Subject: Re: Soundboard Evaluation
>
>
> > > First, congratulations on the keybed. Good show.
> >
> > Thanks, I'm real happy with it.
> >
> > > 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.
> >
> > What's that, the sound of termites munching?
> >
> > > How does
> > > one tell the difference between zero and negative bearing with a
rocker
> > > gage?
> >
> > Well, clearly we are pushing the limits of such a gauge, but you can do
> it -
> > if there is enough negative bearing. Just look to see whether there is a
> gap
> > under the middle point. You can even use it as a component bearing gauge
> by
> > moving two points off the bridge and just putting one of the end points
on
> > top of the bridge - you can see the negative bearing a little better if
> you
> > do it this way. You get creative when your good tools break (the foot of
> my
> > Lowell gauge broke - gotta get another).
> >
> > Terry Farrell
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Ron Nossaman" <RNossaman@KSCABLE.com>
> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> > Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2001 11:39 PM
> > Subject: Re: Soundboard Evaluation
> >
> >
> > > > 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
> >
>