Cracked sound board in piano

In a grand piano, the sound board is part of the case. I have an older piano with a cracked sound board that needs a home and i want a new desk. In fact, this scare tactic is often used by piano dealers to discourage restoration and preservation so that they can sell a new piano to the unsuspecting client. The bridges function is primarily to transmit the sound of the strings to the soundboard, which is the amplifier. As long as the edges of the crack do not make a rattling sound by vibrating, it really isnt that problematic. Check for thin hairline cracks along the grain of the soundboard, and examine each area where a crack crosses under one of the supporting ribs which run across the grain. In a grand piano, crawl underneath and look up to see it, but make sure the piano s legs look sturdy before you do so.

When an original soundboard needs restoration, we evaluate the board to ensure structural integrity, hand sand it and repair any damage utilizing our special methods. After that they filled the cracks, and put the soundboard back to convex shape. Later on you will see it from the other side as well. Welcome to estey piano piano rebuilding services piano. Soundboard replacement is not a requirement for most pianos but if your piano is lacking tone and resonance in the high treble or anywhere else, it may be time to replace your soundboard. In europe if you replace the soundboard on a piano you are legally not allowed to put the name of the original manufacturer on the instrument. Jul 12, 20 this is another great myth of the piano. Free piano vst plugins 9 best realistic sounds 2020. See more ideas about old pianos, repurposed furniture and piano. Dec 20, 2011 the heart and soul of your piano is its soundboard. As the moisture level in the soundboard increases during periods of high relative humidity, the crown expands and pushes the bridge harder against the strings.

The sound board, depending on the instrument, is called a top plate, table, sound table, or belly. Other piano makers followed suit with many different conceptual designs. Repair of rib separations can usually be done at reasonable cost without rebuilding the piano. But before we go any further we must be sure we all know where and what is a soundboard and why it cracks. Piano tuning and repair course index piano technician academy. I was under the impression this was pretty much a wasted effort. A proper constructed soundboard has a crown or a slight dome shaped curvature to the top of the board to help it resist the down pressure of the strings on the bridges and to transmit sound better.

Perhaps it looks less like a smooth, machined piece of carpentry and more like a freight pallet. We can custom duplicate treble and bass bridges, uppernuts, pinblocks, damper guide rails, and wood action rails. Open the lid of your upright or grand piano, and youll see a shiny, thin piece of wood beneath the iron plate that runs along the back or bottom of your instrument. And just like a human heart, the soundboard of a steinway can be replaced by another one, but the essence of the piano s soul remains, and so does its indelible identity as a piano from whichever vintage or decade it came. So youve noticed the soundboard of your piano has a crack or perhaps many cracks. Soundboards can be fixed, but only by removing the strings and plate and rebuilding the piano. I inherited the piano and want to keep it in good shape and fix up the major problems. The craft introduction to course piano styles, parts and history abcs of piano design actions upright, spinet, grand lesson 2. The fact of the matter is that pianos are sensitive. Piano parts duplication we specialize in creating custom replacement piano bridges, and pinblocks. Pianos in churches or concert halls that have the heat or air conditioning turned down or off during the week suffer the most from tuning stability. If you crack open the lid of either your grand or upright piano and look down, you will see a shiny piece of wood behind the iron plate that runs the entire area of the bottom or back of the instrument. It is important to note that a cracked soundboard does not mean your piano is ruined.

For this reason, a crack in the soundboard reduces the soundboards ability to amplify the vibrations of the strings only in relation to how much of the surface area the crack reduces the vibrating area of the board. Lastly, as the board vibrates it is constantly pushing and pulling against the rim or band of the piano. But more importantly, what makes the tone of a piano. Piano sound board repairing cracks the sound board is a five eighths inch thick wooden board in the back of the piano. The alternate absorption and evaporation of moisture affects the soundboard, and therefore the tone of the piano, to a far greater degree than any crack or accumulation of cracks, yet few persons complain of this or even appear to notice it. Whether you have a grand piano or an upright piano, fixing cracks is one of the most common soundboard repairs. A cracked harp plate is an important issue, but in most cases can be remedied by new technologies in welding and mending. This can result in cracks and loose soundboard ribs. Contrary to what the name implies, it is not one board, but several planked together, much like a hardwood floor. This is an example of a significant crack in the soundboard of a small baby grand piano. A vibrating string displaces very little air about. Nov 01, 20 what is a sound board how to check your piano sound board duration. You also have to take into account that the results you have after replacing the soundboard might be dramatically different than the original piano. There are certain things you should know about soundboards.

The case against repairing piano soundboard cracks part 1. It is also one of the main reasons that a cracked soundboard will buzz when played at certain frequencies. The upward crown of the soundboard presses the bridge tightly against the strings. Like the top of a stradivarius violin, the soundboard is the wood beneath all the strings and plate of the piano which gives it its unique quality of sound. How to check your piano sound board the heart and soul of your piano is its soundboard. Cracked soundboards are actually quite common, especially in this climate. Greeb, the proper repair for the soundboard crack, if warranted, is a spruce shim. Ive never done this repair on its own its always been part of a restringing. When the soundboard looses a lot of moisture or absorbs and subsequently. The significance of soundboard cracks on pianos roberts pianos. All unverified accounts are deleted within 72 hours. Usually the piano involved is older than your g2, and ribs have separated from the soundboard adjacent to the crack these must be reglued. You will most likely need to add some eq and reverb in order to get it where you want it to sound.

I have a vose and sons upright piano, serial number 33562. Donating, converting, or recycling your piano pianobuyer. Usually, cracks in a piano s soundboard does not mean the end of its life. Ultimately the whole sound board should be taken out and replaced. So youve noticed the soundboard of your piano has a crack. I havent had any issues with cracking at the repair site. As the string vibrates back and forth, it displaces the air, creating sound waves. These ribs help to distribute resonance and reinforce the board. As a piano ages, its soundboard dries out and often develops small cracks along the lines of the wood grain.

Piano tuning and repair course index piano technician. Campbell piano shop has kept the bechstein concert grand we use for the classically alive music series in top shape for the many artist we have heard. One of the problems that comes up most frequently in buying a used piano is judging the significance of a cracked soundboard. A piano restoration expert can usually make the repair quickly with effective results. Nearly all piano soundboards are made of thin planks of spruce glued together. Piano soundboard restoration is an exacting and timed honed process. A cracked soundboard the thin board stretched across the frame of a piano whose role is to amplify sound seems to be everyones greatest fear. Cosmetically, a crack isnt good, but functionally a crack in and of itself isnt really a problem. The only thing that i am bothered by are the 3 or 4 cracks in the soundboard.

Jul 25, 2012 how much is to repair a piano soundboard crack. Yet when the crack deepens and the soundboard has more extensive damage, the only way the sound can be preserved is to remove the soundboard from the piano and replace it with one that closely mimics the original construction. Many cracked soundboards can be easily repaired, but unless there are other problems with the board, these repairs are usually cosmetic. While soundboard cracks are obviously undesirable, and in some cases can cause serious problems. Unless you hear strange noises, you might not need to repair a cracked soundboard. The soundboard is the single largest piece of wood and the most important part in a piano. Most people cant remember what a piano 60 years old sounded like when it was new. Four or five pieces of wood are glued together to form the soundboard, which is attached to the back bracing of the piano. If the duration is longer than sixseconds your board is most likely salvageable and their may be other issues. Trefz has duplicated thousands of piano bridges, from spinets to concert grands. I was wondering if someone out there in piano world can help me settle an argument ive been having with a colleague. There is a crack in my piano s sound board, caused, i believe, by being stored in an arid place. One method for repairing cracks in a soundboard requires inserting a shim of wood into the cracked board.

A new soundboard is custom tapered and fitted into the specific piano. Sadly, the cracked soundboard ploy has generated countless dollars for unscrupulous piano technicians over the years that use it as a scare tactic for financial gain. The soundboards function is to take and repeat the vibrational movements of the strings, creating air sound waves that are vastly greater than. All fields are required, verification email will be sent to address. A quick and simple test is to finger pluck your highest octave and listen if the tone projects through the entire piano and more importantly the. Any piano with a little age on it will have a cracked soundboard, and any piano that is restored by any piano shop can have soundboard issues corrected and addressed properly. Soundboard repair oxford piano service piano tuning. The easiest way to put it is that a crack in a soundboard is a symptom, but not the disease. Apr 19, 2016 cracks in the soundboard are common in older pianos and can cause buzzing, loss of volume, and poor sustain. This is very common in older pianos and sometimes causes buzzing on specific notes.

I cant count the number of times someone has said to me. This can allow the soundboard to rattle against the loose rib as it vibrates. You can glue the board back onto a rib, if they have separated, but that is a much more entailed process. A piano will go through many changes as weather and seasonal changes bring in cold and warmth. To me, the rim is the soul and the soundboard is the heart. They can provide insight on how to best preserve your pianos sound and give pricing for a soundboard repair or replacement. During restauration, they dried the piano down to 20 percent humidity, so that even some more cracks occured during that. When an object vibrates, it creates rapid variances in barometric pressure which we perceive as sound.

It really only needs to be done if the crack is large wide and long enough to cause the soundboard to buzz or if if the sound of the. Piano restoration costs piano restoration pricing guide 2019. Donating, converting, or recycling your piano karen lile fall 20 in my 31 years of experience as a piano appraiser and broker, and as a partner in a piano rebuilding business, i have daily encountered people who are considering donating or otherwise disposing of their pianos. Cracked soundboard repair tutorial acoustic and hollowbody.

Is it true that when the sound board is cracked, the sound is not affected like many people sellers. Graymarket pianos and cracked soundboards pianobuyer. Perhaps it looks less like a smooth, machined piece of. On the back of it, it has one inch ribs which stabilize it by running against the grain of the sound board. The soundboard, which is the large wooden board you can see from the back of an upright piano or from underneath a grand, has ribs glued on it to strengthen it. A piano with a cracked soundboard should be carefully checked for rib separations before purchase. His voicing of the hammers made all the difference in containing the large sound of a concert instrument without losing the vibrancy of a live performance. Nearly all soundboards will crack at some point over the life of the piano. Servicemen from kawai dealers or the company itself can repair the piano if under warranty. A family friend has had one stored in his shop for about 4 years untouched and decided to ask. Apr 23, 2020 a funny website filled with funny videos, pics, articles, and a whole bunch of other funny stuff. A lot of technicians would have opted to repair the crack.

Would sound get affected because of cracked sound board. Sometimes, a piano can function normally even with a cracked soundboard. An average piano has 230 strings so thats a total force of around 12 a ton. What is a sound board how to check your piano sound board. Do upright pianos have a brass sound board answers. If splits in the soundboard do produce certain rattling or vibrating sounds, it is enough to place a wedge in the crack, otherwise, one must send the piano to a factory or repair shop to have the sound board replaced or properly repaired. In extreme cases, cracked boards can produce a buzzing sound, but this can be corrected through repair. Cracking in piano soundboards some piano owners have been dismayed to learn from their piano technician that their piano has a crack in the soundboard. The fact of the matter is that pianos are sensitive to changes in the climate and in the room conditions. However, when that string is attached to an 1800 sq. Do cracks in a pianos soundboard mean the end of its life. Jan 17, 2016 the spruce planks of a sound board are glued together and then held in place by wood strips called ribs.

Problems can occur within the key itself, causing the key to sound wrong or make no noise at all. It is important to note that a cracked soundboard does not mean your piano is. Even then, a cracked plate can be repaired, by the right person, using the right materials but of all piano repairs, repairing a cracked plate is by far the most risky, due to the enormous tension from the strings. I am asked often about soundboard cracks, and often by people that have heard its a death sentence for the piano, or that it means the piano cant be tuned.

The strings are stretched tighter and the pianos pitch rises. The significance of soundboard cracks on pianos youtube. If splits in the sound board do produce certain rattling or vibrating sounds, it is enough to place a wedge in the crack, otherwise, one must send the piano to a factory or repair shop to have the sound board replaced or properly repaired. When choosing whether to repair or replace your soundboard, its important to consider the level of damage. I dont think my piano is worth anythingthe soundboard is cracked. Usually, cracks in a pianos soundboard does not mean the end of its life.

I bother to give the model number of the guitar so you can look them up online. Sometimes when the soundboard gets cracks in it, the ribs come unglued from it in places. What makes piano sound like a steinway, or a baldwin, or a bluthner. Dec 21, 2012 as a piano ages, its soundboard dries out and often develops small cracks along the lines of the wood grain. However, in many cases cracked soundboards go unnoticed because it usually does not influence the sound. The good news is that this has nothing to do with the tuning. Antique and traditional piano soundboard and pinblock repair. Soundboards vary in size depending on how large the piano is. Shimming a soundboard is a fairly easy task for a rebuilder.

Many times the crack has opened up and the ribs are not still attached to the board under the rib, so you have to work some glue in there and try to clamp it together again. Wagner piano pianos most trusted retailer since 1936. When a soundboard cracks, the most effective repair involves cutting out the crack and planking in a fresh piece of spruce. You will require an account to build your own soundboard or buy sound tracks just fill out the account information below. He maintains that a piano is simply untunable if a cracked sound board exists, while i posit that it is possible to tune a piano with a cracked sound board. In the case of the piano, the string begins to vibrate when it is struck by the hammer. In fact many, if not most, pianos will eventually develop some cracking in their soundboards. Smaller cracks may not impact your pianos sound enough to warrant repair.

As mentioned earlier, they also have a lot of surface area, which does a lot of stretching and shrinking with changes in humidity. The sound board is a five eighths inch thick wooden board in the back of the piano. A quick and simple test is to finger pluck your highest octave and listen if the tone projects through the entire piano and more importantly the duration of the sound its self. When manufactured, the soundboard has built into it a curvature or crown. Piano keys are connected to a hammer that strikes a string to create the note see reference 2. Piano restoration oxford piano service piano tuning. In the grand piano, the soundboard is placed horizontally facing up, and thus you get a feel that the sound rises up and surrounds you, filling the whole room. I always suspected that the claim was not true because if it was so, the piano manufacture would not even bother gluing the pieces of the sound board together. This is usually the result of changes in the relative humidity that has caused the pieces of wood making up the assembly to expand and contract. Also, the top was refinished answered by a verified musical instrument appraiser. I have wanted a grand piano for as long as i can remember. The sounding board is the most important single part in the piano because if the board is bad, you do not have a piano until there has been a major repair job.

A question came up on another forum about the possibility of repairing the cracked sound board on a 1929 braumuller baby grand piano. More recently, sound boards have been made of laminated wood, or glorified plywood. Like the top of a stradivarius violin, the soundboard is the wood beneath all the strings and plate of the piano which gives it its unique. I personally l dig the sound of this and i really like the clean interface.

While this may sound disconcerting, it does not automatically mean that the piano has to be rebuilt or replaced. I took it home and fixed the crack, and now i have a nice mahogany guitar that i picked up for a song. The ribs beneath the soundboard must be firmly attached at all points to avoid buzzing. Some piano makers curve the ribs to support the crown within the sound board. How costly is it to fixed a cracked sound board in a piano. The grain of the rib runs at right angles to the grain of the sounding board. If you do that, most likely there wont be any buzzing. In an upright piano, the sound board is a large vertical plate at the back of the instrument.

Smaller cracks may not impact your piano s sound enough to warrant repair. Small cracks, especially cracks that form along the seams where the wood pieces are joined together, occur in most cases due to age. The soundboard in any piano is exposed to humidity and other environmental swings during its lifetime. Unless you have repaired a cracked soundboard before, we recommend contacting a professional.

A cracked pinblock can be replaced, and a cracked soundboard can certainly be repaired or replaced. Soundboard cracks demystified south jersey piano service. Cracks in the soundboard are common in older pianos and can cause buzzing, loss of volume, and poor sustain. It can be sealed to stop the buzzing, but to cosmetically repair, the strings must be removed and the crack must be shimmed and relacquered. It seems to hold pitch fine and actually sounds pretty good. All who heard the piano gave kind comments on the sound, so it worked.

Mar 26, 2020 keyzone is one of the more popular free piano vsts as it has been around and gone through some nice updates. The sounding board s function is to truly reflect and amplify that tone. It is the best sounding board, but with age, it can crack. Special attention goes into restoring the soundboard, if it be shimming and refinishing the original soundboard or replacing it with a new sitka spruce board. Repairing or replacing a pianos soundboard bradfield piano. For this reason, a crack in the soundboard reduces the soundboard s ability to amplify the vibrations of the strings only in relation to how much of the surface area the crack reduces the vibrating area of the board. Feb 07, 2012 in the early 1900s, steinway and sons introduced their diaphramatic sound boarda board that stands at around 58. These soundboards amplify the sound produced by the bowed string of the violin, or the plucked string of the harp. So, by extension, a new soundboard will likely sound at least as good as before, and, more likely, much better than the old dead board, by orders of magnitude.

Usually a piano with a soundboard that is dead from age is at least 50 to 60 years old or more. Some piano owners have been dismayed to learn from their piano technician that their piano has a crack in the soundboard. This can sound like a speaker distorting when it is played too loudly. Introduction to piano tuning removing action of upright piano removing action of grand piano removing action of spinet piano cle.