Crowned Ribs on M&H?

[John Hartman]

Delwin D Fandrich wrote:

> P.S. You mention in defense of the compression-crowned soundboard that you
> "maintain literally dozens of elder Steinways and Mason & Hamlins, most
> with original boards, some 100 or more years old..." and go on to extol
> their acoustic virtues. You are aware, I trust, that M&H has long used
> crowned ribs. That's not the same thing.  -- ddf


Del,

Not to give you a hard time but the last time I was at the M&H plant a 
few years ago the ribs I saw were certainly flat not crowned. They have 
a large rack with rows of rib stock machined and ready to be glued to 
there boards. There bottom surfaces were nicely profiled in the usual 
manner. If there was any crown to these it wasn't deliberate. Also I 
have not noticed any more evidence of crowned ribs on older M&Hs than I 
do on older S&Ss. When you remove a old M&H board from the case it look 
pretty much like an old Steinway Board. Flat as a pancake. I am not sure 
if machined crowned ribs of the usual dimensions would show much sign of 
there heritage after many years. At least I have never come across ribs 
that were obviously crowned on these two makes.


-- 
John Hartman RPT

John Hartman Pianos
[link redacted at request of site owner - Jul 25, 2015]
Rebuilding Steinway and Mason & Hamlin
Grand Pianos Since 1979

Piano Technicians Journal
Journal Illustrator/Contributing Editor
[link redacted at request of site owner - Jul 25, 2015]