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Harpsichords and Related Topics

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From:
Jack Peters <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Harpsichords and Related Topics <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:56:30 -0800
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Experience is the teacher, not drawings. The trick is NOT to copy but to 
understand what the drawing can tell you then avoid the bad features and 
improve. This really means make your own drawings based on what you 
want. and that means knowing the pitch, the pluck percentages etc. My 
personal inspiration was Ron Hass who invited me to look at his vast 
collection of drawings and then see how he started a drawing of what he 
wanted and fixed things to fit with what he wanted. Frank Hubbard's book 
gave inspiration while Wally's book warned everyone of the mistakes of 
modern makers. If you don't havr good makers to show you you should hang 
around the best organ builders. Each will have a distinct way of doing 
something and getting a solution which is musical and also a reliable 
machine. The harpsichord has always attracted quacks. Self proclaimed 
authorities who have the only way, People who don't want to share. Few 
makers will admit to making mistakes but it happens to the best. 
Learning to recognize a good instrument from a piece of paper is a task 
that takes time. The best makers are always refining in some way never 
replicating. If you can teach the craft you will learn faster. Arrogance 
is common so don't think your a maker with experience with only 10-20 
instruments under your belt. And these can't be kit instruments but ones 
that you have made all the parts from wood you've selected. Organ 
builders may need fewer than 20.   Jack Peters

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