[CAUT] Harpsichord Register Work time

[Fred Sturm]

On 10/25/06 8:44 AM, "Barbara Richmond" <piano57 at insightbb.com> wrote:

> Hi all,
>  
> Oh, I love posing questions like this...
>  
> If one was experienced and competent at harpsichord work, how much time (as in
> hours) would you expect to regulate and voice per register (1 keyboard, 2
> registers).  Please assume that the only thing that has been done is the
> plectra have been inserted and the instrument has never been playable.
> (Fitting the keys not included in this estimate.)
>  
> I'm just trying to come up with a fair charge for the work.  My harpsichord
> experience is somewhat limited, though I have successfully serviced them
> before (but, those instruments were up and running already...).
>  
> Thanks.
>  
> Barbara Richmond, RPT
> near Peoria, IL
>  
Hi Barbara,
    It¹s a tough question, as I usually find myself stealing a bit of time
here and there to get such a job done, so don¹t have a good handle on the
total. My best guess is 4 ­ 12 hours. As I recall, the last time I did a
switchout of jacks and rails on a Z-box (Zuckermann kit from the 60s and
70s, the old plywood model that is omnipresent), it took me about 12 hours
total for the job, and between 4 and 6 of that was voicing, which included
installing plectra and damper felt. On a Hubbard double manual I finished
last year (finally) for my wife, I¹m guessing I averaged 8 ­ 12 hours a
register. The Z-box was a quickie, make it work reliably, cheaply, for a
school that had it donated. The Hubbard was at higher standard, but is still
not really refined. I could easily spend another twelve hours refining it
(three registers).
    You have to include staggering, as well, assuming more than one
register, and that is troublesome with the lack of screws in the Zuckermann
design.
    You might give a holler to Michael Reiter, in the Tacoma area, who does
more harpsichord work than most (I don¹t think he is on this list), and I
would at least consider calling Hubbard and Zuckermann. Ask how long it
would take a reasonably good amateur, and how long it takes their experts.
They would probably tell you.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/20061025/76be7787/attachment.html