[CAUT] Harpsichord popping strings

[Paul T Williams]

They pop wherever they want.  Almost always right at the tuning pin or 
front "nut" area.  I've had them break on string 3 or 4 and at the very 
top.  8' or 4', but mostly 8' register.  This is one that tunes at 440 in 
the regular position, then the action moves down to one new bass string 
for a 415 tuning, but that would stillmean the strings are all at the same 
tension all the time.  Our organ professor will occasionally "touch up bad 
unisons, but never tunes the whole thing.  Nobody else touches it.  We 
used to have some organ grad students that tuned, but they've been gone 
for a couple years.  Richard West said this has been the situation for 
many many years with this instrument, and he would fix strings with a size 
lower than what was on there, and I do this too.  Perhaps, he thinks that 
the strings are just getting old and tired and it needs restringing. 
(Ugh!! I don't look forward to that project!!)

Paul




From:
David Doremus <algiers_piano at bellsouth.net>
To:
caut at ptg.org
Date:
10/11/2010 04:43 PM
Subject:
Re: [CAUT] Harpsichord popping strings



  I have seen this exact situation more than once, unfortunately. I'd 
also be curious to know if the strings are breaking at problem areas, 
like the top of the 4' or the break between iron and brass. Sometimes in 
building the scale varies just enough to cause problems and you might 
need to change wire, high notes sometimes need high tensile instead of 
low, sometimes you can't go quite as high with the brass, or maybe using 
phosphor bronze or extending a wire size further down might make all the 
difference. I notice that the string list from Conrad asks for Rose 
iron, it might be worth trying the Zuckermann iron instead. The Tyre may 
be quite a bit more historical than the others and strung in 'weaker' 
wire to begin with. Just a few thoughts...


--Dave

On 10/11/10 4:20 PM, Dennis Johnson wrote:
> Hi-
>
> That means also when you are in the 440 position key #1 uses wire #2. 
> Unless the builder added one more unison set at the top then last note 
> in the treble will not have any wire to puck so no sound.   When I 
> first came here the harpsichord was in the low 415 position but tuned 
> to 440 so they could get all the notes.  That could explain a lot.  If 
> this is the case, let them know that excessive tension can also cause 
> warping and sticking registers- or worse.
>

-- 


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/caut.php/attachments/20101012/3b2809a3/attachment-0001.htm>