Harpsichord with pedalboard and possibly 3 manuals

[David Pinnegar]

Hi!

On ebay last week I saw what looked to be an interesting instrument. Bought by an Oxford student in the Summer from Exeter it was reputed to have been built by an organ builder. The sound is fine but there is a lot of work to do.

The row of holes along the bottom extending beyond those necessary for the pedals are rather interesting.

http://www.facebook.com/hammerwood.park/posts/10200775062879989





Does anyone recognise this instrument and know its history? Any volunteers to help restore it? Anyone fancy performing?

Best wishes

David P

[David Pinnegar]

Hi!

I have just found underneath "Mr N Keen, Hull Road, York" so it might be a northern builder who made it . . .

Any information about the intention behind its history would be appreciated.

Many thanks

Best wishes

David P

[David Pinnegar]

This instrument is a very fine sound but in my house without central heating the wood swelled and the jackrails seized. With the drier weather they have unseized . . . but it's clearly unsuitable for me.

So I am interested in selling it to someone who can look after it better and make better use of it.

Offers?

Best wishes

David P

[David Pinnegar]

Hi!

A friend rang me this morning with particular information about the builder of this instrument who was indeed an organ builder with an interest in small organs. He most certainly knew what he was doing with this harpsichord as the sound is outstanding. Even without the pedalboard, as a two manual concert instrument it would be well worth the trouble in dealing with the details necessary to get it playing well.

I put the instrument on ebay a month ago . . . and realised that due to it needing some attention marketed it in an imaginative way . . . so I pulled out the loudest stop I could find

with the result that the page "went viral" on Facebook twice, having had 30,000 visitors over the month together with a fair share of hate mail - but serious interest from Italy with the problem of arranging transport.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201072318538?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649 might bring a smile . . . or more hate mail :-)



Best wishes

David P

[David Drinkell]

Brilliant!  It must have taken you ages to get the poses right.

Harpsichord looks nice too....

[David Pinnegar]

;-)

Thanks - glad it's brought a smile to your face at least!

I've been significantly photographically inspired -

they're very natural actresses


with the most extraordinary complexity of skeleton

which permits incredible facilitation of movement

Best wishes

David P

[David Pinnegar]

Is there only one other member with a sense of humour? . . .

I have relisted it on
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201089277468?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Best wishes

David P

[JBR]

I thought it was excellent.  The 'sticky out bits' were very impressive.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if some potential purchasers ask whether the 'model' is included in the price.

[dragonser]

Hi,
well I think that several people did make enquiries if the " model " was included in the price.
the Harpsichord is probably unique and deserves a nice warm home.

regards Peter B

p.s. in the past when central heating wasn't common, how did Harpsichords not break strings and stay in tune ?

I thought it was excellent.  The 'sticky out bits' were very impressive.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if some potential purchasers ask whether the 'model' is included in the price.

[JBR]

p.s. in the past when central heating wasn't common, how did Harpsichords not break strings and stay in tune?

I suspect they didn't stay in tune.  I don't know about breaking strings, but I'll bet the harpsichordists had to re-tune, at least partially, before every use.

[David Pinnegar]

We have started to restring the instrument - the old brass strings broke because of crystallisation - a common problem apparently.

Whether I sell it or not I don't know - but with the help of an expert friend we're hoping to get it into playing order as a two manual instrument with a view to putting on a concert with it together with a
Sperrhake 1960s
Zuckermann 1978
Morley 1960s
Clayson and Garrett 1970

Members who might have followed this thread might recall that the ebay advert featured two characters, Aira and her friend Thera:

Aira decided that she needed more expertise and so her sister Thera flew in from the JiaYi School of Music in Dalian, China . . .

(I have been smitten not just by her musical training there, of course, but by her superb hands as well as her superdooper skeleton which gives her such facility to pose and position so naturally . .  )

She sat down at the instrument


to test the action and found it nice and light


She still found the stool a bit high


Then she provided her expertise on the technicalities, as Chinese piano makers are now renowned

finding a couple of limited splits in the soundboard

and a place where one of the bridges is rolling and really needs to be straightend and reaffixed down to the soundboard

and as a result one string that is snagging on another bridgepin


On the top lid some furniture restoration is needed - but this is a vintage instrument - who wants their antiques to look brand new?


So those are the defects,

but the sound is FANTASTIC . . .

so much so that it really made her want to dance . . . showing off her mid-chest body joint which allows her to bend and turn so naturally, just like a ballet dancer

Best wishes

David P

[David Pinnegar]

In restringing the crystallised brass strings it's eating up wire by the mile - it's 8ft 4inches long . . .

If anyone does have a spare tracker manual or two, it would be wonderful to be able to add one to the instrument . . .

Best wishes

David P

[bobtheorganist]

Big 16' Feldberg harpsichord in need of some glue on Ebay for urgent sale. Number 171743687926

[David Pinnegar]

Very sadly the plonker really did scrap it.

Unbelievable. Madness and sadness.

Best wishes

David P

[bobtheorganist]

A bit late, but one Nicholas Keen ran an outfit in York called 'Classical Harpsichords' in the 70's / 80's.

The examples I have seen have not stood the test of time, and did not impress!