[CAUT] harpsichord questions

[rwest1 at unl.edu]

I think the most overlooked aspect of harpsichord string replacement  
is the angle of the string from the nut (capo) to the tuning pin.   
The string has to end up being low enough to make good contact with  
the nut, but not so low as to put a severe angle from the nut to the  
tuning pin.  The trick is to have several tight coils at the top of  
the pin to hold the wire to the pin via friction.  Then the coils can  
be stretched out to bring the string down the tuning pin to the  
proper height relative to the nut.  After the pin is driven in, the  
string should not be too low. A good way to tell if you have the  
string right is that it will be roughly the same height as its  
neighbors.  The angle of the wire from the pin to the nut will be  
relatively shallow.

I use the end of the black keys as a measure for the correct length  
of wire before coiling it on the pin.  In other words I've made the  
hitch pin loop and I have the string on the hitch pin.  I pull the  
string taut, and use the front end of the black key as a reference to  
cut the string.  That leaves a good length of wire to make a nice  
number of coils.

If you have a good custom-made instrument, just duplicate what's  
there.  If your string is indistinguishable from the originals, then  
you've done okay.

Richard West


On Feb 17, 2010, at 11:04 AM, D Marie Jones wrote:

> Hi everyone,
>
> Thank you for the detailed comments and resources.  I meet the  
> harpsichord in a few weeks & I'll be sure to write back with any  
> adventures & further questions.
>
> And, thank you Fred for the insightful details.  take care.
>
> all the best---D
>
>
> D Marie Jones, RPT
> Kalamazoo College
> 269-383-0620
> 269-806-4067 (cell)
>
>
>
> From: fssturm at unm.edu
> To: caut at ptg.org
> Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:31:13 -0700
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] harpsichord questions
>
> On Feb 17, 2010, at 2:00 AM, D Marie Jones wrote:
> 1.  What is the standard amount of string you leave beyond the pin  
> to end up with the perfect amount of wraps?
>
> Something between 10 and 14 inches as a general rule. You can use a  
> gauge, or you can use a rule of thumb like the span of your hand  
> plus a bit (judged by eye) or sight down to the front edge of a  
> keyboard, something along those lines. Differences of two or three  
> coils aren't very noticeable, so I don't find the need to be overly  
> precise. Less length toward the bass, especially the fat brass  
> strings.
>
> 2.  Is the process for stringing a harpsichord the same as a  
> piano?  Or are there hidden tricks that would be helpful to know in  
> advance?
>
> Tying tails is the big skill to learn, and attaching to a  
> becketless pin is another, if you need to. Also, for pins with a  
> becket hole, it is wise to stick a wee bit of string beyond the end  
> of the whole (not try to be precisely flush - the pin diameter is  
> very small, and the hole is very large compared to the wire  
> diameter, so you want to err on the side of a long becket), and  
> make a positive bend in the wire with a pliers before inserting (as  
> Ed Sutton recommended not long ago for the piano).
> Also, you need to be aware of the angle of the wire from the nut to  
> where the wire comes off the pin. You need positive bearing.  
> Sometimes that means having some coils at the bottom that aren't  
> tight together. Match the look of what is there. But it is more  
> important that you have positive bearing than that your coils are  
> neatly together. Many harpsichords are strung in a style that has  
> tight coils up top, then loose coils, then a couple tight coils at  
> the bottom.
>
> 3.  What is the best source for harpsichord string?
>
> You need to know the type of wire. Steel is either "piano style"  
> high tensile, or "historic style" low tensile. Brass varies more.  
> Hubbard http://hubharp.com/ , Zuckermann http://zhi.net/ and  
> Instrument Workshop http://fortepiano.com/ are good sources.
>
>
> Regards,
> Fred Sturm
> University of New Mexico
> fssturm at unm.edu
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Hotmail: Free, trusted and rich email service. Get it now.

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