[CAUT] Harpsichord popping strings

[Ed Sutton]

That would be an empirical way to determine a reasonable break% for 
harpsichords in institutional circumstances. Or perhaps someone has already 
worked on this and can give a reasonable guideline.

I am trying to point out what I feel is a significant problem. A fine 
harpsichord for private ownership and use may not be ideal for intitutional 
use. Tyre was a good builder, and I don't think he would have made an 
instrument with strings that constantly broke under normal conditions as he 
understood them.

Many years ago I attended a school in Louisiana which had a fine Dowd 
instrument. As long as a teacher played and maintained it regularly, it did 
well. When the teacher retired and the instrument was left unused in the 
same office, it began to break strings spontaneously when the humidity 
changed. Other people have reported similar experiences on this list, such 
as with a Willard Martin harpsichord, another well-designed instrument.

Unfortunately, replacing strings with stronger material may change the sound 
of the instrument significantly. The stringing scale and string material are 
important parts of the design of a historically informed reproduction. If 
the only real need is for a continuo instrument, something less wonderful 
may be a better choice.

Ed S.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ron Nossaman" <rnossaman at cox.net>
To: <caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 2010 3:16 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Harpsichord popping strings


> On 10/12/2010 1:52 PM, Ed Sutton wrote:
>> Ron is correct, if anyone knows what is a reasonable break% for a
>> harpsichord, or more precisely, a harpsichord in institutional
>> circumstances, which rarely provide adequate care for the more delicate
>> instruments.
>
> The intent wasn't to start another thread speculating on what the true and 
> correct guessed break% should be in institutional situations, but rather 
> to find out what the numbers are in the real and actual strings that are 
> currently breaking, as opposed to the numbers in real and actual strings 
> that are not.
>
> Ron N