[pianotech] Thubby Chipboard, was: Flagpoling

[Ron Nossaman]

On 8/12/2012 1:20 PM, Terry Farrell wrote:

> Ron - did some/many/all manufacturers make rims out of chestnut?

Not that I know of in grands, but a lot of the old uprights have what 
looks to me to be chestnut lumber case cores.


> Looking at some data for North American hardwood strength
> characteristics, it appears several of the hardwoods are similarly
> quite strong - like hard maple, red & white oak, white ash, etc., but
> chestnut is a good fair bit less hard, dense, stiff, etc. Why would
> they choose Chestnut?

For dimensional stability, cost, and ready availability.


>How prevalent was the use of Chestnut in rims?

Not at all in grands, that I know of, but those that didn't use maple 
sure used something. What? I've seen oak in built up (rather than bent) 
rims. But I was talking about uprights, as was Gordon unless he knows of 
any Yamaha grands that were made with "chip board" rims that make them 
thubby.

Ron N