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Thread: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

  1. #1

    Default Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    I'll have a Steinway topped peutie please. Or, I'll have a Wurlitzer topped hangfrom please. Anyone ever use piano sound boards?

  2. #2
    Mandolicious fishtownmike's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    NO! They are not thick enough. Usually a piano soundboard is somewhere around 5/16". They are great for recycling into guitar soundboard though

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    Registered User barry k's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    A lot of upright pianos have thicker soundboards, but even if they are thinner, build with a standard spruce top , and cut up the piano soundboard for tonebars.

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    Registered User MnRoss's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    I know of a builder friend that has used piano sound boards for mando braces/tone bars from time to time.

  5. #5
    Registered User 8ch(pl)'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    What about using them to make flat tops?

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    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    The sound boards could be used for flat top mandolins. We helped a neighbor dismantle a piano a few years back, we use the braces for violin-viola sound post stock ( sounds great ) the ebony keys for nuts and saddle's and got a whole box of ivory off the white keys for inlay.
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    It's been done. I've heard some of these instruments, and they sound good.

    See the link: http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/inde...lbumId=2322208

    MB

  8. #8
    Registered User toddjoles's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    I'm still fairly new to all this, but the piano sound boards that I have seen have all been flat sawn. For an instrument top you want quarter sawn.

    Quarter sawn
    llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll or ////////\\\\\\\\

    Flat sawn: In reality, the straight lines are curved rings following the circumference of the tree.

    ==============
    ==============
    ==============

    Could you use it? Sure.
    Would it effect the tone? Probably.
    Would it effect the strength and flexibility? Definitely.
    How would it look? Probably quite funky!
    Would I use it? No, only for tone bars.
    Todd Joles, handyman and aspiring luthier!

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  9. #9

    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    Piano soundboards are quartersawn, or close enough. The soundboard in a piano works the same as in all other instruments, just bigger. Not sure what pianos you've been looking at that have flatsawn boards?
    I have a small cast off piece I'm using to build a flattop piccolo.

  10. #10
    Registered User barry k's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    Yup, the ones I have used were quarter sawn, or just off the quarter.

  11. #11
    Mandolicious fishtownmike's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    Maybe he's confusing the lid for the soundboard. Many do.

  12. #12
    Registered User jim simpson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    How much does a Steinway?
    Old Hometown, Cabin Fever String Band

  13. #13
    Registered User barry k's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    ......Thats not a Steinway, its a Messerschmitt.....

  14. #14
    Registered User toddjoles's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    No I'm not confusing the lid for the sound board. This was my experience with old piano sound boards. In my younger days I loved to find out what made things work and was able to demo...I mean take apart two old piano's. ;-) Both of these sound boards were flat sawn. One was a full upright and the other a spinet. I can't remember the brand names.

    If they are quarter sawn great! All the better. If there is no run out and they are wide enough and thick enough, it might be worth the effort to resaw. Give it a try and let us all know how it turns out. If they are nice and old, you know they are well seasoned.
    Todd Joles, handyman and aspiring luthier!

    San Diego's own Rock Bottom Bluegrass!

    Traditional music played without talent!

    The greatest band you've never heard!

  15. #15

    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    What do you get when you drop a piano down a mine shaft?
    A flat minor.

    If you look close, you'll see the glue lines of where it was put together from many smaller boards. In my case, I just put the glue line down the center. Usually you have to look pretty close to see it. You might have to deal with two glue lines if you're building a larger instrument.

    At one time I had a fair amount of this material. I worked for a grand piano factory for about 10 yrs, and had some cut offs, boards that weren't usable,etc. We also rebuilt a number of old pianos. Anyway, this was before I became interested in building mando's and got rid of a lot of it. Doh!

  16. #16
    Registered User sebastiaan56's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    Hi Gary,

    I bought some billets of Sitka from an old piano soundboard stash. Beautiful, perfectly quartered and now over 40YO. I had it cut for flat tops and guitars. I am getting good at 4 piece soundboards, its not a big deal.

  17. #17
    Registered User BlueMt.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    Quote Originally Posted by jim simpson View Post
    How much does a Steinway?
    88 Keys
    Eric

  18. #18

    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    Here's an old tip for bleaching out ivories taken off piano keys. Put the pieces in a shallow pan in some hydrogen peroxide and set out in the sun. Works great, in the summertime anyway.
    (I think that's how it goes, it's been a while).

    I wish I still had some of the bigger pieces, I'd definitely try a guitar out of it.

  19. #19

    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    These tops came from an upright that got to Silver City new mexistan in 1909. Too thin for carved tops, but great for flattops, The Beechwood 2x4's in the harp frame made useless noodly mandonecks, but burned pretty good in the woodstove once completed....... there was a square grand for sale in Socorro a while back with brazilian rosewood veneer everywhere except the soundboard.
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  20. #20

    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    I have some of those posts that I saved from a piano that was too far gone to mess with. No good for necks? hmmm, I was kind of thinking to use it for that. though it is kind of plane, no figure at all. Well, I might try it for a neck on a toddler fiddle, maybe. nothing to lose there.

  21. #21

    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    Make that 'plain', not 'plane'. freudian slip.

  22. #22
    Registered User Fred Young's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    Keep in mind.. those old pianos and ect.. were built with tone producing wood in mind. Having said that.. without looking under the veneer?? could lose a piece of very great tight grained tone wood.....darn!

  23. #23

    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    I looked at the wood under the veneer on some pieces that I had. I'm far from a wood expert, but it didn't look like anything I'd want to use on a mandolin. I suppose you could laminate up some blocks and points maybe. The grain had large, open pores. It had an attractiveness level of about 0.

  24. #24
    Registered User Fred Young's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    Quote Originally Posted by Gary McMoran View Post
    I looked at the wood under the veneer on some pieces that I had. I'm far from a wood expert, but it didn't look like anything I'd want to use on a mandolin. I suppose you could laminate up some blocks and points maybe. The grain had large, open pores. It had an attractiveness level of about 0.
    Yes you are correct about the acttractivenes. Popular is a good tone wood to a large degree. But it is so plain! And older gentleman had built his own mandolin from Q/S popular and his music was placed in the archives in the big library.. I haven't tried it myself as of yet. Good luck

  25. #25

    Default Re: Mandolin Tops From Piano Sound Boards

    What I had wasn't poplar though. I'd use poplar. It was some kind of wide grained wood. lightweight. This was just one piano though. There might be some good stuff in others.

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