Chines and multi-piece rims

[A440A@AOL.COM]

Del writes (and confuses me):

>The continuous bent rim has certain manufacturing advantages but it has
>no acoustical advantages that I am aware of. 
 <big snip>
>So, having said all that, there is at least one compelling reason for my
>use of a multi-piece rim: its potential acoustic superiority. I can better
>shape the treble soundboard and I can more easily float the bass end of the
> soundboard. 
 
Greetings, 
   Perhaps I am reading it wrong,  but these two statements seem to be taking 
different paths. Does "its potential acoustic superiority" refer to the 
geometry it makes possible? 
   I don't think we can discount the acoustical importance of the rims, since 
they are not only massive, but are entrained via their connections in the 
string-bridge-soundboard-case-plate-string -etc circle.  Wouldn't the 
"impedance" of the rim have a measurable effect?  I know we can use uprights 
with their jointed constructions as a case in point,  do they have the same 
output as a continuous wrapped grand?  Would it be fair to draw comparisons 
with the Lucite cased grand that has been on display( or did it have a wooden 
inner rim?)
Regards, 
Ed Foote 
(I have never installed a soundboard, or untwisted a case, but I have sure 
sat in front of'em for a long long time)