Bravo, Ted! Ed S. One time, the dean at the university >where I worked had purchased a large Nuepert double, without checking with me. >Nobody used it, and he fobbed off the job on me of trying to sell it to a high >profile organist, who arrived from out of town with a friend, also an organist >for a large cathedral. I knew him and also knew he owned a fine harpsichord. >After seeing the instrument, it wasn't hard to tell their feelings. One asked >me, " What is your opinion of the harpsichord"? with a look that plainly said >they were sizing me up. I replied "It's a monstrosity, and I strongly recommend >you do not purchase it". I would probably have been fired if the dean had found >out. But I simply could not bring myself to have done otherwise. > >Ted Sambell > > > > >________________________________ >From: Fred Sturm <fssturm at unm.edu> >To: caut at ptg.org >Sent: Sat, December 18, 2010 12:11:04 PM >Subject: Re: [CAUT] FW: WiTTmayer Harpsichord > > >On Dec 18, 2010, at 5:51 AM, Conrad Hoffsommer wrote: > >#1 shows the jacks in place - it's a spinet, so strings run off at a good angle >to the right. >>-wire hook below damper is to cradle the tongue return spring attached to the >>register >>-metal damper bracket and attaching screw clearly visible >>-tongue rests on eccentric cam used for pluck adjustment >>#2 shows some details of the jack itself. >>-leather plectrum >>-lead weight >I never cease to be amazed at the "ingenuity" Wittmayer put into redesigning the >jack, something that historically had worked very efficiently and reliably for >hundreds of years. Each one I have looked at (thankfully few) has had a >different "feature" or two. I am grateful that none of my harpsichord clients >has ever possessed one, knock on wood. They should all be burned <G>. (Too much >trouble to retrofit with a simple jack) > >Regards, >Fred Sturm >fssturm at unm.edu >"I am only interested in music that is better than it can be played." Schnabel > >
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