2023 Asian harpsichord maintenance tour

Instrument Maintenance
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Dear All

I’ve just finished my first post-COVID Asian tour, and flew yesterday from Taipei via Tokyo to San Francisco ready to resume my duties tending the early keyboards at Carmel Bach Festival for all of July.

I thought Jackrail members might be interested in the large variety of types, makes and models of the fifty-eight instruments I maintained in June, visiting Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Taoyuan & Taipei.

Regards

Carey

  • Carey Beebe Franco-Flemish Double 2004
  • Antique French Double harpsichord from Michael Thomas collection
  • John Phillips Ruckers/Taskin 1992
  • AMD logo French Single 2011
  • Carey Beebe Ruckers Double 2010
  • McNulty Walter & Sohn FP 2012
  • Bizzi French Double 1999 (no 4´)
  • Colin Booth Italian 2003
  • Sassmann Double 1970s
  • Zuckermann FP
  • Garlick Goujon 2008
  • Garlick Goujon 1995
  • Carey Beebe German Single/Vater 1992
  • Goble Dulcken double 1976
  • Carey Beebe Gerlach clavichord 2007
  • McNulty Walter & Sohn 2001
  • Early Music Shop organ
  • Kennedy Mietke 2001
  • Marc Ducornet Colmar 2015
  • Carey Beebe Grimaldi 1995
  • Garlick Goujon 1994
  • Richter clavichord 2009
  • Maene Walter FP 2010
  • Maene Walter FP 2021
  • Herz double 1978
  • Sabathil & Son double 1980
  • Dowd French Double 1966 ex Kirkpatrick
  • Colin Booth single-strung Italian 2013
  • Herz Kirckman model 1988
  • Matthias Griewisch Gregori 2022
  • Goble Dulcken double 1993
  • Maene Walter FP
  • Joris Potvlieghe clavichord 2011
  • D Jacques Way Flemish Double 1982
  • D Jacques Way Unfretted clavichord
  • Xavier-Flanders Virginal
  • Rädecker & Lunau square piano c1832
  • Hornung & Möller square piano c1860
  • Knud Smenge chamber organ 1984
  • Clementi & Co square piano c1815
  • Frederick Beck square piano 1773
  • Bizzi French Double 2017
  • Neupert Rameau model 2016
  • Merzdorf single 1979
  • Marc Ducornet Hemsch French Double 2021
  • Rod Regier Walter FP 2002
  • Willard Martin French Double 1994
  • Richard Schaumlöffel French Double/Blanchet 1986
  • Tony Hunt spinet
  • D Jacques Way three-choir Flemish single 1991
  • William Dowd French Double Boston 1974
  • Cornelis Bom Italian/Guisti 1987
  • Bettenhausen Taskin French Double 2003
  • Thomas Power Goermans/Taskin French Double 2018
  • Hubbard French Double kit 1970s
  • Michael Johnson Franco-Flemish Double 2014
  • Wolfgang Zuckermann English Italian kit
  • Morley Pentagonal Spinet
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Gosh that really is quite a list! Safe travels, Carey.

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A very interesting list, Carey. You have maintained an average of two harpsichords a day, impressive! I assume those tours of yours must be carefully planned in advance. Do you know in advance what the work to do on each of them? And what tools and/or materials do you bring with you, other than the usual ones? Maybe glue, wood? Maybe planes and saws?
Excuse my many questions.

One last: can you say something more on the French antique?

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Dear Dominic

I’ve been doing field maintenance around Asia for many years, so I know many of the instruments extremely well from repeated visits. Others move in and out with expats. Yes, careful planning is essential, but even with that, there are always some unexpected surprizes!

I’m carrying 25kg of tools on this trip. My 16kg toolbox contains assorted goodies allowing me to accomplish a wide variety of work, with spares for many makes of instruments, along with a huge selection of string coils for minor replacements. The extra weight is made up of strings on spools for major restringing, along with any specific materials that I’ve been forewarned about for particular jobs.

You might enjoy my Harpsichord Triage video from 2011, where I had three hours to fix an instrument:
CBH Harpsichord Triage

As for the French antique harpsichord ex Michael Thomas, I’ve known that for thirty years. Its story can be found my website, but also look for the link to its second visit to my workshop when I had to replace the termite-eaten spine:
CBH Harpsichord Restoration Report — Antique harpsichord in Singapore

Regards

Carey