[CAUT] Harpsichord strings breaking

[Fred Sturm]

Come to think of it, it is entirely possible that some Z kit  
instruments were designed for 415, without transposing keyboards, in  
a sort of quirky authenticity phase. Ed Sutton's right, call  
Zuckermann. But have some specifics so you can describe the  
instrument. Length, range (eg B1 to D6) in particular, history (age)  
if known, whatever else you can gather.
	If it _was_ designed for 415, it is possible to make it play 440 by  
turning the keyboard into transposing, which involves removing the  
top key and cutting the keyframe, and some other adaptations. Or that  
it could be altered simply by changing to modern wire rather than low  
tensile.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm at unm.edu



On Sep 21, 2007, at 2:12 PM, Fred Sturm wrote:

> Hi Bob,
> 	I happen to be placing an order to Hubbard just now, and looking  
> in their catalogue, they say that 13.5" is the maximum length for  
> c" (which I think translates to C5) in low tensile wire, 16" for  
> high tensile, both at 440. So you might measure to see.
> 	About string breakage with messy coils, often if coils cross one  
> another or the string crosses a bent down bit of becket wire  
> (especially as in the ones without becket holes, where the end of  
> the string is held in place by friction of having the coils wound  
> over it), there will be breakage problems if this occurs just where  
> the wire is leaving the tuning pin. Which is an execution problem,  
> not a design problem. Depending on era, a Zuckermann is quite  
> likely to have low tensile strings on becket-less tuning pins. In  
> changing a string (or stringing), to avoid the described problem,  
> bend up or break off the last bit of the end of the string before  
> you get to the final coil around the pin, so the coils aren't  
> crossing it any more.
> 	I guess I'd be surprised if even a very green kit builder put a  
> bridge on far enough from where the plan template wanted it to  
> cause this problem. I'd be much less surprised to see stringing  
> style as the culprit.
> Regards,
> Fred Sturm
> University of New Mexico
> fssturm at unm.edu
>
>
>
> On Sep 21, 2007, at 12:38 PM, ITUNEPIANO at aol.com wrote:
>
>> A local church has a Zuckerman, Double Choir Harpsichord.  I don't  
>> know if this was a kit or not, but the coils on the pins are not  
>> very neat, so I suspect it's a kit.  When I tune it to A-440,  
>> strings break.  I've currently tuned it to A-415 (one semi-tone  
>> flat), but the music director isn't happy transposing everything.   
>> I'm betting the bridge is in the wrong place, causing the string  
>> tension to reach the breaking point at A-440.  I'd be interested  
>> in any suggestions on a cost-effective fix.
>>
>> Bob Maret, RPT
>> Piano Technician
>>
>>
>>
>> See what's new at AOL.com and Make AOL Your Homepage.
>

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