<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2963" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Barbara, </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Yes a pic of the jack elastic would help.  I just finished building a Zuckerman virginal last year, and needed to use small threads on each bass jack to limit the motion of the springs, not to strengthen them.  Never seen it on a harpsichord, though.  Jack spacing on virginals is tighter I think.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>As to the length adjustment, possible, but not as convenient as screws:  just belt sander (careful) to shorten and add masking tape layers to lengthen.  I built a Zuckerman harpsichord years ago and ended up adding the screws.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have a copy of my instructions for the old harpsichord I built c.1975.  Could copy for you, or maybe Zuckerman still has them available.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dave Smith</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>SW FL</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=piano57@insightbb.com href="mailto:piano57@insightbb.com">Barbara Richmond</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, September 03, 2006 11:44 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Fw: Zuckerman harpsichord kit</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hello harpsichord experts!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>While I was working on a piano at a church, the music director asked me if I knew anything about harpsichords.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"Well...after five years at IWU, I was fairly decent at servicing the ones they had."  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>He lead me into his office and explained that someone had donated a 78" Zuckerman harpsichord, not totally finished (of course).</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hmm, there was piece of elastic spanning over the 4' jacks to help them return.  The 8' jacks are in a box somewhere.   :-)  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I do not claim to be an expert when it comes to harpsichords, though in the past I've been able to get them to play fairly well--that means all the notes work & sound pretty even and the touch is mostly even.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I took a quick look at the keys and they are mighty tight.  And then I pulled out this jack.  Maybe screw adjustments aren't authentic, but I find them handy and there aren't any on these jacks.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I have some harpsichord literature around here somewhere which I am fully capable of reading--but my question is this:  Is it possible to get these jacks to perform well?  Is there any other information or advice I need to work on this instrument?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thanks so much,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Barbara Richmond</DIV></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>