James wrote:

> Does that imply that the case parts are NOT slab sawn, i.e. are vertical
> grain?  We went through this about four years ago when I was being guided
> step by step through the construction of an Italian case, and I don't
> remember whether a definitive answer ever came out. ...
>
> And where does one get cedar of Lebanon?  I have not seen it listed on any
> of the "fine woods" sites on the web, so far as I am aware.  Maybe I should
> look again.
>
> What did you use for the keyboard, just out of curiousity?

I use quartered (vertical) CofL for the case sides, and more often than not
quartered CofL for the sound board as well. I have used both slab sawn CofL and
quartered western red cedar for the bottom board. Quartered for the case walls and
lid because it remains flat without bracing (though the walls do have bracing).
This is just the way _I_ do it, and I don't pretend that this is the way everyone
should do it. Slab sawn for the case walls ought to work just as well, though for
the lid I do believe quartered is better. Ultimately, if what you use works, that's
fine, so there is no definitive answer.

I get cedar of Lebanon from A& M Wood Specialty in Cambridge Ontario, about a
half-hour drive from my home. They usually have it in stock, though sometimes not.
Their URL is http://www.forloversofwood.com/us/ which is the US dollar site. Very
reliable people, and they ship everywhere into the U.S.

For keyboard stock I use almost exclusively slab sawn basswood, the densest and
hardest I can find . Historically, Italian harpsichord keyboards were made from a
variety of materials, including (but not limited to) chestnut, lime and cypress.
Key tops are European boxwood and black stained pear wood, usually.

dpj
http://www.harpsichord-man.com




Sayeth the art critic, "Art is whatever you can get away with."