Soundboard installation, next topic : the glue

[David Love]

The tradition in Europe is to salvage the soundboard at all costs.  I think
that's based more on tradition and attitude about maintaining the integrity
of the original instrument than whether the soundboard is actually
performing its engineering function in an effective manner or can even with
extensive repairs.  Some soundboards weather age fairly well, others don't
and the period of time depends on several criteria: environment, quality of
materials, design and the original work.  The point at which a soundboard is
judged to be ineffective and should be replaced is not hard and fast as the
board's function is along a continuum of better to worse.  There are simply
different opinions about where along the continuum the decision needs to be
made, total glue joint failure and decisions to modify original designs
notwithstanding.

David Love
davidlovepianos at comcast.net 
www.davidlovepianos.com



    Well, where you are you seem to replace soundboards as though they
    were sparking-plugs.  Quite why I can't tell.  A soundboard over here
    is most unlikely to be replaced even after 100 years and most of them
    are fine after 100 years if the pianos have any worth.

    As to the difficulty of removal, it makes no difference unless you
    intend to remove the old board with every fibre intact and keep it in
    a museum as an example of a soundboard that failed.

    JD