[CAUT] Harpsichord popping strings

[Paul T Williams]

Ed, This is a very interesting point about previous usage prior to my 
joining UNL.  Yes, indeed, the harpsichord was used quite a bit more with 
the former organ professor. Of course, Richard had much more work to do on 
this instrument, while, since starting here in 2006, have had very little 
time with it, or it's general use, and our current organ prof started the 
same time as I.  I don't think in 4 years, I've spent over 50 hours with 
it...just tuning and replacing strings and such. 

To Ron and others:  I've never learned how to calculate string break 
tension numbers;  Could you please explain?  This will help me 
tremendously in this and other real piano issues!

Thanks again, for all your continuing support!

Paul






From:
"Ed  Sutton" <ed440 at mindspring.com>
To:
<caut at ptg.org>
Date:
10/12/2010 02:48 PM
Subject:
Re: [CAUT] Harpsichord popping strings



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 



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