Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 16 to 24 of 24

Thread: A Clavichord Build

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Lakewood Colorado
    Posts
    53
    I then purchased sheets of brass and cut out the wedge-shaped tangents. For the lower 11 bass keys for the 22 over-wound strings the tips were folded over so they didn't get caught between the copper overwindings.
    c096.jpgc097.jpgc098.jpg
    I drilled a small pilot hole and clamped them to make sure they didn't split the thin delicate key ends. It was a little nerve racking but no major problems!

    A few years back I remodeled my 1950's house bathroom and removed the lead toilet pipe. This old lead pipe I then melted down with a blow torch and made some 1/4 inch lead rod which was then used to add some back weight to the keys. The toilet never sang like this!
    c100.jpgc101.jpg

    Phil

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Lakewood Colorado
    Posts
    53
    The entire carcass and lid were finished with 3 coats of hot boiled linseed oil and 3-4 coats of garnet shellac. I am really happy with the outcome and is sounds pretty good. I still need to complete some fine adjustment to the keys, i.e. voicing. But for the most part the instrument is done. As you can tell, Deacon my chocolate lab is now full size and is just too big to sit on the work bench or sit inside the clavichord!
    c102.jpgc103.jpgc104.jpgc105.jpgc106.jpgc107.jpg

    Thanks to everyone on the forum back in 2016 for all your suggestions to get started on this clavichord build. Getting started on this project would have been a lot harder without you all!

    I guess not it is time to learn how to play it before I start on the second one! The second will be a lot easier now that I know what I am doing.

    regards,

    Phil

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Chocowinity, North Carolina
    Posts
    256
    Really nice job on your instrument. A lot of people say a clavichord is easy to build, but it's not - at least it's not if you want it to actually play reliably. Be careful, instrument building can be addictive. In 1985, I built my one and only harpsichord. That was over 40 harpsichords ago.
    "A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me, I'm afraid of widths."
    -Steven Wright.

  4. #19
    Phillip J Allen,

    That's really extraordinarily good plan-reading, build sequence planning, and craftsmanship.

    Clavichords pretend to be simple rectangular boxes on the exterior, but the design / layout, that is generated from the layout of the tangents creates a jumble of complex, parts, almost all of which are visible. Because the strings are angled to the longitudinal sides- except on the early projecting keyboard configuration, the anti- torsion efforts creates oddly shaped and surprisingly heavy structural parts having complex joinery.

    And, previous to the machine age, if it didn't show, not much fuss was made over it. A Ruckers harpsichord keyboard shows what I would consider minimal attention to finish. However, with a clavichord, everything except the pinblock and structure under the soundboard is right in the player's face all the time. Clavichords have the triangular carving to the key levers, but a few examples have the keys without accidentals between: B/C and E/F where the tops are carved in a serpentine. The interior of many harpsichords have glue running out of structural joints, and Kirckman harpsichord had unfinished, unveneered straight sides, sometimes with with big knots in the planks. Clavichords were sometimes knocked out inexpensively- anonymous in-between projects for organ builders, but the signed instruments are still at a high level of finish.

    I've not heard of a clavichord with a redwood soundboard, and am interested in the sonic results. As clavichords are so quiet, and the soundboard is glued onto the very heavy pinblock and case lining structure, the soundboard and ribbing pattern is surprisingly important. Hubert experimented with the soundboard bracing pattern to divide the sound board into resonant zones and to try and transfer as much vibration to the least encumbered zones.

    Yes, really well done. I'll look forward to news of further progress.

    Alan

  5. #20
    Very cool. I would love to hear a recording.

    How are the home made string pins working out? I saw that you made them out of nails. Are those hard enough so they don't bend ovet time? I was expecting you to use zither or autoharp pins..

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Upland CA
    Posts
    5,548
    Wonderful job, and great record of the build. That is something I can only dream of doing.

    How long did it take?

    +1 on hearing it play.

    Rick P
    Rick Potter

    DIY journeyman,
    FWW wannabe.
    AKA Village Idiot.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Lakewood Colorado
    Posts
    53
    John,

    I too was worried initially about using nails for the tuning pins but everyone else was using them. In a museum in Bogota Colombia I saw a clavichord with tuning pins that were even thinner diameter than my 16 penny box nails.
    I think the real thing to consider is that there really is relatively low tension on these pins. When I had problems with my over-wound strings breaking I performed the string tension calculations and came up with the following graphs. The tension should only range between 8-3kg.

    unwound_string_freq_vs_tension_20171215.jpgwound_string_freq_vs_tension_20171215.jpg

    So with only 2.7cm of a 16 penny nail sticking up from the sound board I wouldn't expect it to bend much.
    But then time will be the final judge!

    Phil

  8. #23
    Very interesting. I was assuming you were using steel or brass strings... But that sort of tension would indicate gut or nylon... What are your strings?

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Lakewood Colorado
    Posts
    53
    John,

    The strings are yellow-brass wire and the lower 11 base notes are yellow-brass wire with Copper over-wounding wire. Clavichords & harpsichords both produce the best sound when the wire is "near" the breaking point. I think the maximum tension for some of the heavier gauge yellow-brass wire is close to 10-11kg, but I am not 100% sure. I am still learning.

    Phil

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •