Downbearing - Setting with a loose board

Ron Nossaman rnossaman@cox.net
Sat, 16 Oct 2004 15:19:12 -0500


>What good is that going to do for you? New soundboard + different panel 
>thickness + new rib scale + different crowning + different downbearing = 
>different bridge height. Better to build soundboard. Clamp soundboard in 
>place (screws, clamps, whatever), install plate and then measure how tall 
>you need your bridges. Otherwise you may be sadly surprised.   :-(

Absolutely right.


>That's only if you install a bridge cap prior to setting downbearing. If 
>you set downbearing first, you don't need to worry about that. When I 
>build my bridge root I simply keep in short enough to fit under the struts 
>(unless, of course, you have some wierdo piano that has the strut cutting 
>down into the root).

And there are plenty of weirdo pianos that have the bridge pins pressed up 
against the bottom of the strut to where you can't get a string on until 
surrounding strings supply enough bearing to deflect the board enough make 
room. But that's afterward.


>Someone else suggested temporarily screwing the soundboard down to the rim 
>- I like that idea.

That's what I do too. The plate, treble cap, and damper guide rails cover 
the holes afterward.

Ron N


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