Blaine,
Thank you for your comments. I wish that you had posted this as
a separate discussion. It really did not speak to the original
question. I wanted to comment on the initial topic,
but as it has been now convoluted by input that does not pertain
to the original discussion of soundboard cracks in particular, it
has dampened my inspiration.
I often lurk, but rarely actively participate in the discussions,
mostly because of time constraints. It is helpful to me to gain
input of others and remember that I am not the smartest guy
in the room. I gain a tremendous amount of insight but only
reply if I feel compelled to do so and think it will add to the
discussion. Thank you all for your ongoing input.
Please keep discussions on topic. If there is something else
one wished to comment on, please do so, but under a new thread.
Best.,
Dave
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Dave Conte
Owner
North Richland Hills TX
817-581-7321
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Original Message:
Sent: 11-02-2017 01:53
From: Blaine Hebert
Subject: Do Soundboard Cracks add Stability to Humidity Changes
I would love to change the name of this thread a bit and re-direct it to one of my "issues":
Somewhere along the way piano manufacturers decided that aligning the grain of the soundboard at 90 degrees to the ribs produced "more", "louder" or "better" sound; this has become the industry standard. If you go back about a hundred or more years and look at antique pianos (I hope to write a PTJ article about this) you will find that many, if not most soundboards were made with ribs at another angle to the soundboard grain, often at 45 degrees.
At 45 degrees the different glued woods are better able to expand and contract and the wood fibers are able to absorb the movement without cracking. In antique soundboards I have examined there are seldom cracks, whereas in more modern 90 degree glued soundboards cracks are common (note: this may be sampling bias as antiques with cracked soundboards may be more likely to have been discarded).
I have tested this by gluing two pieces of oak together at 45 degrees and using these in a wet-clamping application where the wood part was subjected to saturation and drying over a period of months. The wood remained completely glued and intact. Compare this to an old piece of plywood (usually with the grain at 90 degrees) and see how much separation you get.
If you made two soundboards in otherwise identical pianos with one with ribs at 90 degrees and one with ribs and grain at 45 degrees (the bridge is another issue) what difference in sound would you see (note, this experiment would actually have to be repeated many times to support may conclusion; a test with two pianos would NOT be conclusive)?
If this has been well discussed or tested I would love to know when and where!
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Blaine Hebert
Duarte CA
626-795-5170
Original Message:
Sent: 11-01-2017 23:11
From: Chris Chernobieff
Subject: Do Soundboard Cracks add Stability to Humidity Changes
Just read an intriguing article called "Soundboard Cracks, compression ridges, and natural Laws of Physics" Jan 1983 by Samuel Nock Phoenix Chapter.
In it he makes the case that soundboard cracks allow a soundboard to breathe, and thus not have the drastic movement from season to season, with the result that tunings are more stable. Similar to the installation of a wooden floor and leaving space around the edge for the wood to breathe.
Anyone else have similar observations? Thoughts? Refutations?
(Thumbs up imogee here)
-chris
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I have a piano in my Nuclear Fallout Shelter, and my competitors don't. How silly is that?
chernobieffpiano.com
865-986-7720
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