Harpsichord

[A440A@AOL.COM]

>   There were, however, a couple of things that caught my attention as
>needing improvement:
>   1.  The coils on the pins were nothing even close to tight - ( some
>wraps were seperated from the previous wrap by as much as 3/16".  Is
>there a coil lifter similar to the one that we use on pianos? or do you
>who work on these instruments use a hook.

     Wait!  The coils on harpsichords are often open in the middle. The 
downbearing at the nut is determined by the wraps lower limit, and there are 
often pins that are lower than others.  I suggest that you leave any 
functioning string alone, or learn to replace them.  Do these pins have holes 
in them? 


>   2.  The coils were not level ( how did you ever guess )  Yes, I know we
>use a steel tool to level the tops of coils on pianos, but what about on
>harpsichords?  My own GUESS was that a piece of very hard maple with a
>hole drilled in it to allow the wooden coil setter to slide over the pin,
>but not the wire was a thought - and then again that wire is really small
>stuff - so how is that done?

   Is is amazing how brittle these wires can be,  is there a need to hammer 
the strings around on the pin? 


>   3. What angle should the wire be making as it approaches the pins from
>the bridge? ( I know that until the coil problems are ironed out that
>this angle is going to be anything but correct.)

      This is a designers decision, and I would wait to hear from someone 
that is more experienced with Hubbard harpsichords, which I think this may 
be. 
 >btw I believe that the owner said the make was something like
>"Hubber"????

Frank Hubbard made kits as well as finished instruments,  a good one is as 
nice as a Dowd.   
Regards, 
Ed Foote