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OK folks, this may be an age-old discussion that has already taken place before I became a forum member but...

Are there any significant performance improvements when a soundboard is made of a different and/or higher grade of spruce? For example, would a piano with a Val di Fiemme spruce soundboard perform any better than the same piano and design that uses a plain sitka spruce soundboard?

Also, does the methods of treatment and "curing" of the soundboards affect it's acoustical properties?

As I understand it, Petrof, Bösendorfer, and Schimmel are all quite meticulous about the quality and treatment of the spruce for their soundboards. Whereas, Steinway and Baldwin, while perhaps not using junk, isn't quite as particular about it.

So I suppose my primary question for debate is, does the use of a closer-grain Siberian, Bavarian, Bohemian, or Val di Fiemme soundboard really cause the piano to produce an overall better tone?

Just yesterday there was a post about the Spruce soundboard forest in Italy. I was amazed to find this grove of old trees being farmed for their straight, tight wood grain. We at one time had some of the oldest trees in BC, Larch 1200 years old, clear, straight grain. I always wished something great could have been made from them.

Stradivarius was very fussy about his wood, guitars are creatures of their soundboard design and wood choice, I expect pianos to be the same. (And Sitka spruce make excellent aircraft wing spars, we had a Bellanca aircraft or three.)

The quote on the acoustic property of soundboards made of spruce from the Fiemme forest is as follows:
These pages tell the story of the "tree of music", an extraordinary tree which grows in the forests of the Fiemme Valley (Italy).
From this wood, unique in the world for its resonant characteristics, we obtain soundboards for valuable musical instruments.
"A.Stradivari personally chose the spruces in the Fiemme Valley to make his fascinating violins.
Nowadays the "heart" of some of the most famous pianos in the world, is a "Ciresa soundboard ".
The Ciresa Firm, which factory is situated in Tesero - Fiemme Valley, through scrupulous selections and careful processing of this particular spruce, has been producing instruments and sound components of highest quality since more than 30 years."

INTRODUCTION from The book 50° Ciresa
by Fabio Ognibeni

.. the wood of Fiemme, the living material which is the basis of this peculiar work.
Famous professors wrote texts and essays on this argument, some researchers of the most famous universities carried out scientific tests on laboratory data and measurements on this material. A lot of this official or non-official work is at this moment on my desk .
I can mature my personal experience from this privileged point of view, that supports the technical-scientific "voices" and the daily real contact with the wood from the selection to the final acoustic result. With great passion and a pinch of intuition I collected the data and scientific news, I could verify tests, compare opinions and statements of technicians and makers of musical instruments, of researchers and university professors, piano tuners and skilled lute makers. I could notice that everyone has reached the real knowledge of the wood in strict connection with the specific personal interests.
The medley of these information makes me able to find fine links that confirm thesis and tests, comparing trials .. on
.. the peculiar characteristics of the wood used at the Ciresa' s: the spruce of Fiemme Valley.
.. It concerns history, experience, ancient tricks of the trade through the centuries, passion, study and rigorous technical research mixed together. For this part we have trusted to Mr. Alessandro Tossani, a lute maker master from Cremona. His knowledge and great precision in lute making has given us the trust that he would have dealt with the matter in the best way. He always looks for the best tone-woods for his violins, because not only does he want to obtain perfect sounds from them, but also to have particular acoustic results, that represent the warmth of the human soul.

sounds like some of our answers will be in this book!
happy translating?
Barry

There's not much I can add to this discussion except to say that in the U.S. both Baldwin and Steinway & Sons use quarter-sawn solid Sitka Spruce. Steinway uses close-grain wood, and Baldwin specifies a minimum of 8 growth rings per square inch. Mason & Hamlin uses White Spruce. Over in Europe, I once read that Fazioli uses Red Spruce. How the properties of the varieties of spruce differ, I cannot say.

Futhermore, there are so many other variables present in piano construction, I don't know how one could possibly discern sound differences and attribute them solely and distinctly to the soundboards alone. For example, the specifications for strings differ, as do the design of bridges, hammer styles, rim composition, etc. I personally like the sound of Baldwin better than Steinway, and far better than Mason & Hamlin. But it's doubtful I have just the Baldwin soundboard per se to thank.

Just in case you are interested in some canadian soundboard spruce, there has been first-time logging in a valley near Golden BC which has very large spruce. I bought 3 huge logs to saw into lumber for the shovel-nose Columbia River canoes I want to build.

The lumber company which bought this timber, Slocan Forest Products, was trying to market the best wood for guitar and piano soundboard use. The thought was that it would be the finest use to which this fairly rare quality of wood could be put. You can reach them at 250 347 9611 to see if they have any left.

I was amazed to see such lumber myself in these times. I got 5/8 inch planks 15 inchs wide by 24 feet long, some of which are entirely clear of knots - for my boats. I have not checked the pitch yet but I have a hunch it is too good for common construction "spaghetti lumber" - it would be great to see it in piano construction.

Barry Moore