Soundboard assembly for pianos or the like

In a piano or similar stringed instrument, the combination comprising:

• a soundboard assembly with two major parallel soundboard faces, and an elongated bridge which engages one of said soundboard faces of said assembly to transmit vibrations of associated strings thereto, said soundboard assembly comprising a soundboard consisting of a center single sheet of wood, and two outer layers of composite material each bonded to a respective one of the opposite faces of said center sheet and each providing a respective one of said soundboard faces, and a plurality of generally parallel spaced ribs secured to said soundboard in engagement with said face thereof opposite said face engaged by said bridge, said ribs being arranged at an angle of between 30.degree. and 90.degree. to said bridge, said center sheet of wood of said soundboard having a grain with a generally uniform direction throughout said sheet and which grain directions is arranged at an angle of between 30.degree. and 90.degree. to said ribs, and each of said two outer layers of composite material consisting substantially solely of a plurality of unidirectional carbon fibers embedded in a resin matrix and which carbon fibers are oriented at an angle of between 30.degree. and 90.degree. to said grain direction of said center sheet of wood.