holy CFSB!!

http://www.steingraeber.de/english/instruments/innovationen/kohlefaser_resonanzboden_43.html

!!!!!

-Carl

- John Challis tried an aluminium SB for harpsichords decades ago. It
didn't become popular.
Carbon fibre could be reasonable in terms of stiffness versus mass.
The motivation of 'climate resistance' is probably misconceived since
modern pianos are already pretty resistant to external changes. The
main sensitivity is the expansion of metal vs. wood (or whatever else)
with temperature. Maybe for radical humidity change though...
~~~T~~~

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Carl Lumma" <carl@...> wrote:
>
>
http://www.steingraeber.de/english/instruments/innovationen/kohlefaser_resonanzboden_43.html
>
> !!!!!
>
> -Carl
>

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Tom Dent" <stringph@...> wrote:
>
> - John Challis tried an aluminium SB for harpsichords decades
> ago. It didn't become popular.

Challis used aluminum on all his instruments after he started
using it, and Challis' instruments were quite popular, and
quite sought after to this day. They didn't jive with the
museum freaks, of course. Neither did the overall sound of
Challis' instruments, but there are more elements than just
the soundboard that could be to blame.

I lived and studied with a student of Challis', and played
frequently his harpsichord, and did work on his fortepiano,
both of which had soundboards made from airplane wing material
taken right out of Challis' workshop. The soundboards
functioned splendidly. There were also aluminum pinblocks
with pins set into delrin bushings. The tuning stability
of these instruments was insane, and the pinblock never goes
bad (just replace the bushing).

> Carbon fibre could be reasonable in terms of stiffness versus
> mass.

Far superior to the aluminum honeycomb sandwich stuff that
Challis used, which already worked quite well.

> The motivation of 'climate resistance' is probably misconceived
> since modern pianos are already pretty resistant to external
> changes.

Er, are we living on the same planet? Pianos hate humidity
and temperature changes, and period instruments go out of
tune when you cough on them.

-Carl