In relation to the introduction by user @Mark I thought I would start a topic on regulation. Here people can post links and information, and of course questions. I expect this may develop into a very rich topic.
Here’s a useful page:
http://tituscrijnen.com/Titus_Crijnen_harpsichords/Checking_the_instrument.html
And let us not forget Carey Beebe’s excellent technical resource library:
[A fellow Aussie.]
Hello, I am a ZHI kit builder very nearly done; but have been fearful of the voicing/regulating step. Is it likely, as an amateur, that I can get a quality result? Are there traveling “voicers” ? If so, what would an appropriate honorarium would be charged?
Also, any input from other kit builders out there?
Thank you.
Hello John and Welcome!
If you have the skill top build a whole harpsichord you can voice it. There are some videos on the subject. Carey Beebe on the forum here has very helpful videos on such topics.
As to travelling technicians, that would depend on where you are located. And of course a complete voicing from scratch is likely to be fairly expensive.
There are a hundred hints I could give but prime is, get a very sharp blade. Some people use scalpels. We use Stanley blades, not sure what they are called in America. Second is, don’t cut yourself.
This sort, for example:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/craftright-80-piece-knife-blade-set_p5760123
You’ll want a 100 pack - you will go through a lot. They have to be very sharp. There are dozens of cheap brands. Surprisingly they are all not too bad in terms of sharpness.
You did not mention delrin or quill. It’s two different approaches.
For regulation you will need to learn about staggering and be careful to get it really good.
You may find this small paper useful:
Are you actually in Vegas? If so, you could contact Jonathan Rhodes Lee at the University there.
https://jonathanrhodeslee.com
Anne
Andrew’s advice is all good and helpful. I expect that the Zuckermann instructions are also quite good and, as I recall, they have one or two voicing videos on their site. I would also point out that as a dentist, I’m sure you have skill at making small cuts with very sharp instruments!
Voicing certainly is a skill, and you will get better with practice. You might even end up re-doing the first octave or two. But it’s also a fun step since you finally get to make music on the instrument you’ve worked so hard to build! Furthermore, once you learn how to do it, you will always be able to maintain your own instrument – and that is a very good thing.
As someone who built two kits, I encourage you to jump in and try it. If for some reason you end up feeling that it’s just not something you want to do, there’s always the option of paying somebody else. But I think you’ll be fine.
Thank you for the “shout out,” Anne. John is indeed in Vegas, and I have seen the instrument. It is a nicely built specimen, with good marking out. I predict that it will be reasonably easy to voice, and that John is quite capable of doing it.
That said, this is something that I can help with, if you want, John. I’ve also recently had the opportunity to send two harpsichords through shops for complete quilling/regulation jobs, so can share the going rate if you need (perhaps off list would be more appropriate?)l
All best,
JRL
Don’t forget you can use PM in Discourse. So you don’t have to publicly expose email addresses.
Thank you, Andrew. Good to know! (John has my number if he needs me, though.)
JRL
Re: voicing etc.
One thing I experienced since the first time I tried, is: real birds’ quills are simpler to voice than the Delrin ones. I don’t like Celcon at all so I only tried once, no more than twenty notes or so.
With a less-than-perfectly sharpened blade, I very easily cut the delrin too thin so I have to change the plectrum with a new one. Real quills seems to me more “forgiving” about the sharpness of the blade (however sharp is good, dull is evil, ever).
And, who knows why, “overall” I can quill and voice an entire register roughly in 3/4 the time I need for doing the same in delrin. A particular quill may prove difficult but overall real quills take me less time than delrin.
I am able to feel a definite difference birds’ quill from delrin, both tone-wise (subtle difference to my ears) and touch-wise (not-so-subtle under my fingers).
In a recent Facebook post, Skip Sempé has stated that less than 10 harpsichord makers worldwide can properly set up and voice/regulate real quills. So his experience is opposite to mine. Of course he is Skip Sempé so most probably he is right and I am wrong. Just my experience and how I interpret it.
A somewhat limited experience, by the way. I have my antique 1699 harpsichord restored and real-quilled by a professional maker/restorer; I have had a little neapolitan harpsichord by the same maker; I’ve played another by the same maker; I’ve my Zuckermann first real-quilled by me, then reverted to delrin; I had my other little single-strung neapolitan harpsichord made by me from scratch (I no longer own it); all of them real-quilled. When my double-manual will need a complete requilling I’d like to have that in real quill. Not for now.
I had to revert the Zuckermann Italian to delrin because the Zuckermann jacks had the plectrum mortice too little so a number of quills didn’t fit. A real quill needs a mortice no less than a millimeter and half high, while the delrin plectra are about 0.4- 0.6 thick to start with. The bird’s quill on the other hand has the pith and the curvature so they are thicker than delrin (of course both are thinned when voicing).
The long-term behaviour of the birds’ quill have much improved since our own David Pickett explained to me how and when to oil them (thanks David).
Dom.
However I’ve had one harpsichord - and another quilled by a professional harpsichord maker and I found it to be remarkably playable and
That is misinformation typical of facebook. For a start he doesn’t know any harpsichord makers in Australia. Very narrow minded. Misinformation regardless of how well known he is. And what is the point? To make it appear unattainable and put owners and players off? If there are only 10 exalted people now, explain how every maker in 17-18c century was able to do it.
… and every person who could read and write, as they used birds’ quills to write, for centuries.
By the way, quills for pens and for plectra are obviously to be treated differently, but the basics are very similar: cut, slice, use a knife with a small blade… This video from the British Library can be of interest:
Is there a similar video aimed to harpsichord quillers, with a comparable video quality? Often is difficult to see the quill being thinned because it’s so small and the video quality not sharp enough (pun not intended).
Dom.
Here’s a picture of St. Mark preparing his quill:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ana_sudani/317707690/in/photolist-5P8WE4-u5kqN-6a3oTg-6a7y9h-6pJd64-6qbNu8-6zJcxS-6SHc1s-786gza-786hg2-7mosMV-DvEup-7Chu2o-7P5hiU-8j1pdV-Lon8w-Lon8y-Lon8E-LoHWQ-LoHWU-LoHWW-LoHX5-LoSer-LxWuo-LxWuw-LxXe5-LxXe7-2mhUw8y-2mhZFS9-93ftgv-9fhZuH-9j5E9V-9yGPTx-9yKQJW-9UtsTx-9UJLn8-adLhyP-adP7eo-afTZfB-afTZiM-afWJD9-aBbc84-aBbchB-aBdTdN-aBdTh5-ef8F5G-ef8Fd7-4Vu6yk-8j1pjX-8j4Doh
Dale
That’s quite a lot of red splattered around the quill and on the knife blade.
It’s reassuring to know that the great Evangelist is no better than I at avoiding self-inflicted wounds when working with quill…
Victor
Every person carried a pocket knife for centuries. They were of course principally intended for making and sharpening quill pens.
The subject came up a while back that builders might not always be the best regulators. The situation seems similar to that of reed woodwind makers and reeds. Some makers do not try making reeds and others do not make especially good ones; making the respective instruments sound well (wind and keyboard) are a different skill set to their manufacture.
I agree entirely with this observation. I think that the secret is that some builders are sensitive players, and some are not. Even with some of the most sensitive builder-quillers, I find that I discover really quickly hangers and other problems that they seem to have missed. People’s attentions are just differently focused.
I am reminded that Don Angle basically devoted himself to regulation and finishing work at Hubbard. He amazed me once by playing stride bass on a French instrument with the jackrail off. That was a sensitive player and regulator.
JRL
Thanks to all for the help and encouragement. I will devote myself to study of the resources and try an octave to see how i do.