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Harpsichords and Related Topics

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Subject:
From:
Michael Johnson <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Harpsichords and Related Topics <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 1 Jan 2016 10:12:22 +0000
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My life has been dedicated over the last forty five years to making 
Flemish style harpsichords and there have been many changes.The most 
rewarding ones for me over perhaps the last twenty years or so have been 
my work on actions and my concentration on jack design.That of course 
must take in plectra but plectra are really the final stage.There are so 
many designs of jacks from the different periods and styles of 
instruments but the basics are all the same, what happens at the 
approach to the string and what happens at escapement.In order for the 
player to be in total control of the pickup and release the plectra it 
has to take a certain shape, hold that until the pluck has been made.So 
throughout that operation there must not be any movement of the tongue, 
it must remain solid in its bedding in the jack blank.Any twitching or 
flick back will not only produce noise but more importantly there will 
be a loss of energy, energy needed for the player to focus the speech of 
the instrument.The escapement is equality important in as much as there 
is a need for silence and speed of recovery of the tongue to its bedded 
state. Simply principals but not as simple for the maker to achieve.


M

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