[CAUT] Harpsichord Jacks

[Fred Sturm]

Hi Paul,
	Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a lot of choice and  
availability in jack designs these days (20 years ago there were a  
lot). The most readily available in this country are Hubbard,  
Zuckermann, and Instrument Workshop, besides from individual makers  
(who can be hard to get action from), and there are some European and  
maybe Australian. Zuckermann doesn't have top adjusting screws. It is  
very likely you will need to change lower guides and registers (the  
sliding guides that let you turn a register on and off) to accommodate  
a new geometry. What is the profile of the existing jacks? IOW,  
dimensions of both the top portion that rides in the register, and the  
lower portion that rides in the lower guide.
	Hubbard jacks are about $2 for the current standard, $3.15 for an  
older style they still provide (go to www.hubharp.com and download the  
pdf parts catalog and price list. The catalog has drawings). Both have  
square bottom portions that ride in round holes in the lower guide,  
one centered, the other offset to one side. The Instrument workshop  
ones are rectangular all the way.
	"Some assembly required!" It takes time to cut, drill, install the  
screws, etc. And then you actually install and voice plectra and do  
dampers. This is a big job. If you do take it on, feel free to contact  
me for advice on doing it efficiently.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm at unm.edu



On May 2, 2008, at 9:14 AM, Dempsey Jr., Paul E wrote:

> Hello All,
>
> I have a private customer (a church) that has a Dupree Harpsichord  
> that has had only cursory maintenance and use over the years.
>
> The current Choirmaster wants to use it on a more regular basis.
>
> It has apparently been inexpertly voiced sometime in the past and  
> the majority of the plectra have been trimmed too short. Also the  
> existing jacks have no tongue adjustment screw so you can see the  
> problems. These jacks also are the type that the plectra is an  
> integral part of the tongue, so if a plectra breaks, the entire  
> molded tongue/plectra/spring must be replaced.
>
> We are exploring the idea of replacing all three ranks of jacks with  
> a type that has a replaceable tongue with a replaceable plucker and  
> a top screw adjustment.
>
> I have contacted the folks at Instrument Workshop in Oregon. They  
> only have a proprietary jack that they sell to builders. $3.00 a  
> piece and we need 180. They do not fit our existing jack slides so  
> those would need to be replaced as well.
>
> Does anyone know who else to contact? Here or abroad?
>
> Thanks
>
> Paul E. Dempsey, RPT
> Piano Technician Sr.
> Marshall University
> Huntington, WV
> 304-696-5418
> 304-617-1149
>
>
>