Cracked soundboard on piano

There are certain things you should know about soundboards. If the crack is small and doesnt buzz, theres no need to fix it. While this may sound disconcerting, it does not automatically mean that the piano has to be rebuilt or replaced. Perhaps it looks less like a smooth, machined piece of. It is important to note that a cracked soundboard does not mean your piano is. All who heard the piano gave kind comments on the sound, so it worked. The case against repairing piano soundboard cracks part 1. There is a crack in my piano s sound board, caused, i believe, by being stored in an arid place. A piano restoration expert can usually make the repair quickly with effective results. How costly is it to fixed a cracked sound board in a piano. The common thought is the soundboard is not repairable when damaged but on the contrary can be fixed in most situations. After that they filled the cracks, and put the soundboard back to convex shape.

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. 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. Sometimes when the soundboard gets cracks in it, the ribs come unglued from it in places. This can sound like a speaker distorting when it is played too loudly. 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. When choosing whether to repair or replace your soundboard, its important to consider the level of damage. At the age of 10 he accomplished his goal of playing it in recital. Unless you have repaired a cracked soundboard before, we recommend contacting a professional. This is a more expensive repair depending on how big your piano is and how many cracks need repair.

It is also one of the main reasons that a cracked soundboard will buzz when played at certain frequencies. The pinblock holds each string ensemble with tuning pins. On the back of it, it has one inch ribs which stabilize it by running against the grain of the sound board. This wooden piece should not be out of position, warped or cracked. Perhaps it looks less like a smooth, machined piece of carpentry and more like a freight pallet. William braid white, principal of the school of pianoforte technology, chicago, ill. In fact many, if not most, pianos will eventually develop some cracking in their soundboards. A lot of technicians would have opted to repair the crack. 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.

A piano with a cracked soundboard should be carefully checked for. 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. So if your piano does have cracks in the soundboard it means that some time in its past or present. Nominally, if the piano is worth it the scant information above, i would judge no, you remove the plate, widen the crack to a vshape, insert and glue a vshaped spruce strip and scrape not sand the repair level. One method for repairing cracks in a soundboard requires inserting a shim of wood into the cracked board. If the crack is small, but wide, it can be cleaned and a soundboard shim can be installed fairly simply. Over the years, soundboards can crack for a variety of reasons. Fire sucks moisture out of the airand your piano faster than you can say, my soundboard cracked. It is the large, flat piece of wood across the back of the piano that the strings parallel.

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. At least on the east coast, i would think most soundboards will be cracked. If theres no resulting buzzing sound, does it have to be the kiss of death. A piano with a cracked soundboard should be carefully checked for rib separations before purchase. Piano restoration costs piano restoration pricing guide 2019. The ribs run perpendicular to the grain of the soundboard, and therefore perpendicular to any cracks. Soundboard repair oxford piano service piano tuning. The bridge is a wooden piece between the soundboard and the hammers, helping to maintain the piano in tune for reasonable time. 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. 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. The fact of the matter is that pianos are sensitive. Sometimes, a piano can function normally even with a cracked soundboard.

During restauration, they dried the piano down to 20 percent humidity, so that even some more cracks occured during that. The significance of soundboard cracks on pianos youtube. Whether you have a grand piano or an upright piano, fixing cracks is one of the most common soundboard repairs. Soundboard cracks pianotech piano technicians guild. The term cracked when referring to piano parts needs to be clarified to assess the level of severity. 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. For this very reason a crack or check in a soundboard reduces the soundboard s ability to amplify the vibrations of the strings only to the extent to which the crack reduces the vibrating area of the board. One of the problems that comes up most frequently in buying a used piano is judging the significance of a cracked soundboard. If the crack is loose on the ribs, it may buzz, but there is a repair for this as well. So youve noticed the soundboard of your piano has a crack. 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. What is a sound board how to check your piano sound board.

A cracked harp plate is an important issue, but in most cases can be remedied by new technologies in welding and mending. All stringed instruments have some type of soundboard most are built directly into the body of the instrument, such as the violin or the harp. Secondly, dont worry about a cracked soundboard unless a tuner tells you to worry. The reality is that nearly all heirloom instruments have cracks and separations in their soundboards they were designed this way so that the soundboards could move and adapt to changes in heat and humidity. The sound board is a five eighths inch thick wooden board in the back of the piano. While soundboard cracks are obviously undesirable, and in some cases can cause serious problems. My piano tuner said that my piano has a cracked soundboard. Nashville piano rescue is full service and does make house calls on basic repairs, we also do piano cleaning, key top replacement, brass polishing, string replacement and full rebuilds.

This can allow the soundboard to rattle against the loose rib as it vibrates. Smaller cracks may not impact your piano s sound enough to warrant repair. The soundboard is a large, thin wooden plate which acts as an amplifier of the sound produced by the vibrating strings its purpose is to radiate a large volume of sound over a wide frequency range. 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. Repairing or replacing a pianos soundboard bradfield piano. As a piano ages, its soundboard dries out and often develops small cracks along the lines of the wood grain. So if your piano does have cracks in the soundboard it means that some time in. Soundboard cracks demystified south jersey piano service. He stays uptodate on all things piano by being an active member of the piano technicians guild the song chariots of fire inspired andrew to begin piano lessons. He received his piano tuning and repair diploma from the piano technician academy. Solid spruce soundboards swell and shrink with seasonal changes in humidity and, over time, can develop cracks. Many piano soundboards crack to a point and then stop once the excessive tension is released. But before we go any further we must be sure we all know where and what is a soundboard and why it cracks. Cosmetically, a crack isnt good, but functionally a crack in and of itself isnt really a problem.

You also have to take into account that the results you have after replacing the soundboard might be dramatically different than the original piano. After decades of constant pressure from the strings and varying environmental conditions, the soundboard inside of a steinway piano can crack, become loose from the supporting ribs and it may lose its crown. Some piano owners have been dismayed to learn from their piano technician that their piano has a crack in the soundboard. The heart and soul of your piano is its soundboard. Just curious what, really, is the big deal about a cracked soundboard on an older piano. If you do that, most likely there wont be any buzzing. Clients often tell us that their local piano tuner says their piano has a cracked soundboard and is ruined and worthless. This is very common in older pianos and sometimes causes buzzing on specific notes. Graymarket pianos and cracked soundboards pianobuyer. Cracked soundboards are actually quite common, especially in this climate. A cracked pinblock can be replaced, and a cracked soundboard can certainly be repaired or replaced. This is an example of a significant crack in the soundboard of a small baby grand piano.

Things the piano technician will say occasionally you will hear the piano technician say that something is cracked in the piano. Usually, cracks in a piano s soundboard does not mean the end of its life. In extreme cases, cracked boards can produce a buzzing sound, but this can be corrected through repair. I dont think my piano is worth anythingthe soundboard is cracked. 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. 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. Any separation of a rib from the soundboard at a crack is a potential source of buzzing noises. To me, the rim is the soul and the soundboard is the heart. Strings also stress the pinblock which has to be replaced when it wont stay in tune. 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. When a soundboard cracks, the most effective repair involves cutting out the crack and planking in a fresh piece of spruce.

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. 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. Once you get to the point where strings need to be removed, the labor charges go up. I havent had any issues with cracking at the repair site. Do cracks in a pianos soundboard mean the end of its life. Often, depending on the size, location, and nature of the crack, it will make no difference at all in the pianos sound. I inherited the piano and want to keep it in good shape and fix up the major problems.

Greeb, the proper repair for the soundboard crack, if warranted, is a spruce shim. Usually the piano involved is older than your g2, and ribs have separated from the soundboard adjacent to the crack these must be reglued. Welcome to estey piano piano rebuilding services piano. The pinblock must not be cracked or splintered at all, and tuning pins must be tight. When a crack is larger and causes the wood to warp, the sound quality will be affected significantly, and you will likely want to repair the damage.

The soundboard is the most important resonating part of a piano. Contrary to what the name implies, it is not one board, but several planked together, much like a hardwood floor. Ive never done this repair on its own its always been part of a restringing. You can glue the board back onto a rib, if they have separated, but that is a much more entailed process. So youve noticed the soundboard of your piano has a crack or perhaps many cracks. I cant count the number of times someone has said to me. Piano restoration oxford piano service piano tuning.