Recrowning the soundboard,something different

[Farrell]

I don't have a record of downbearing, but I remember it was on the order of half what many use - so it was light. I should make myself clear regarding crown. I could not really measure it well - it's highly likely that there was actually some crown - as the initial downbearing was so light. I could not measure it on the soundboard bottom because of all the shims (no longer a nice smooth bottom). What I measured was the downbearing (so I don't really know that the board was flat). The strings, except for the wiggle around the bridge pins, are absolutely straight. The board did not support the string pressure at all.

The piano sounds like it also. Very weak and thin tone. Fortunately, the purpose of the rebuild was strictly for furniture value for the parlor in the owner's new home. It will be used once a year during the holidays so that Uncle Harry can sing Jingle Bells. It isn't too bad in the room because there are no curtains, an oak floor and a high ceiling - very lively acoustics.

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Brekne" <richard.brekne@grieg.uib.no>
To: "PTG" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 26, 2002 6:49 AM
Subject: Re: Recrowning the soundboard,something different


> 
> 
> *********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
> 
> On 25.05.2002 at 23:10 Farrell wrote:
> 
> >I "rebuilt" an Estey microgrand a while back and dried the heck out of
> >the board, wedged the heck out of it, and put umpteen shims in the board.
> >After cleaning up the board, letting it cool down, and removing wedges, I
> >was absolutely tickled to see that the board had a good 3/8" or so of
> >crown. Hit it with your fist and it went BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.
> >Well, at least Boom.
> >
> >Then I strung it. The crown immediately went down, flat as a, well, a
> >board - as in flat as a pancake. I only used super-minimal downbearing.
> >Needless to say, I'm don't feel anxious to try introducing crown in this
> >manner.
> >
> >Terry Farrell
> >  
> 
> 
> I remember this story... and I have wondered since if what would have happened if you had installed the plate so as to create just minimal bearing. Guess I will never know. :) 
> Richard Brekne
> RPT NPTF
> Griegakadamiet UiB
>