Lurking by, I thought I'd pipe in for a bit on harpsichord tuning. I have tuned countless different harpsichords thousands of times. First off, if you want decent tuning hammers or T's, go to http://www.fortepiano.com where Lutz Bungart runs The Instrument Workshop, and have a look at the selections. If you really want fancy ones, go to Marc Vogel's website, but then you've got to pay for shipping from Germany. OR, make your own, it isn't that hard. OR befriend your local blacksmith. As for torque, no, those of us in that business don't bother measuring torque. The string tensions are nowhere near as great as on modern pianos, so seat of the pants, or should we say, feel of the hand, measurements of tight enough or not are completely adequate. Besides with tapered tuning pins, you just tap it down into the hole a bit more if it's loose, or pull the pin and shim it quickly. These are quick and simple operations, unlike on a modern piano. Why should we waste on time getting precise measurements when we don't need them? We have other things to do with our time that are more useful, productive, or fun. In general, I find the T shaped tuning "keys" give me much finer control, essential for harpsichord tuning. You can pretty much just forget you piano tuning moves. I use the my thumb and forefinger on one side of the T and pinky/ring finger on the other with very slight movements. Also, yes, there is no need for a stabilizing blow. You DO however need to make sure you have relaxed your grip on the pin when you check the pitch, as there is substantial flagpoling with harpsichord pins. Go to it! AA Anne Acker Historic Keyboard Specialist Anne Acker Early Keyboards http://www.anneackerkeyboards.com http://www.pianogrands.com mobile 912-704-3048
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