Doesn a cracked soundboard mean a piano is worthless?
No, it doesn’t. Cracks are usually caused by excessive humidity variation, and although they are cosmetically ugly, they don’t detract appreciably from the piano’s tone. They may cause buzzes, but your technician can repair that. Some manufacturers have even cut slots in their soundboards at the factory so the board would have room to expand and contract, and hopefully not develop cracks. When you have all the strings replaced on your piano, the cracks can be filled or shimmed to restore the board’s original beauty.
