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Harpsichord Casters

  • 1.  Harpsichord Casters

    Member
    Posted 07-03-2015 10:12

    I am looking for a set of casters to install on a Leek harpsichord for the College of Wooster and wondered if anyone has a favorite type and/or place to purchase them.

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    Rex Roseman
    Akron OH
    330-289-2948
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  • 2.  RE: Harpsichord Casters

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 07-03-2015 15:43

    Harpsichords aren't typically on casters. None that I have owned or serviced has casters. But I can see there might be situations where they would be handy. The real question is what are the dimensions of the legs? Then you figure what kind of socket you could insert for what sort of caster. They wouldn't need to be as heavy as for a piano. You would probably want to cut the leg to account for the extra height the caster would give.

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    Fred Sturm
    University of New Mexico
    fssturm@unm.edu
    http://fredsturm.net
    http://www.artoftuning.com
    "We either make ourselves happy or miserable. The amount of work is the same." - Carlos Casteneda
    ------------------------------


    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Harpsichord Casters

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 07-03-2015 18:13

    Yes, casters on harpsichords are rare. We had casters on one of our harpsichords briefly, until someone broke a leg because they were pushing when they should have been lifting--over a threshold. Now, they lift. (The stand is attached to the instrument, which is also an unusual arrangement, but saves that awkward moment of "putting the harpsichord down" and discovering that there are no legs under it. :-)

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    Alan Eder, RPT
    Herb Alpert School of Music
    California Institute of the Arts
    Valencia, CA
    661.904.6483
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Harpsichord Casters

    Posted 07-04-2015 05:07

    I've never seen castors on any H'chord. We frequently used to hire them in for a Season at Glyndebourne - but none ever had castors. Not helpful? Try this: you can get three-wheeled piano-leg 'dollies' - bought in 'threesomes' - and try those. But they lift the instrument up about 1/2" or so. Frequently, though, a harpsichord has 'gate' legs - or 'twin' legs though still using one of these dollies-per-corner is still possible, for the H'chord is not a heavy beast is it.   Michael   UK

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    Michael Gamble
    semi retired
    Brighton
    01273813612
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Harpsichord Casters

    Posted 07-04-2015 10:57

    I have put castors on a harpsichord and it can work. You have yo be careful thst you don't break the legs when you are moving it, depending on how tge stand is constructed.


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    Gregory Hamilton
    Music Director, Faculty
    Holy Trinity Seminary
    Irving Tx
    832-545-0900
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Harpsichord Casters

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 07-04-2015 16:36

    We have adapted a number of our harpsichords with 1.5"-2" casters installed under the bottom horizontal member of the stand. Not all instrument stands have a lower cross member like this, but I created one for our 1970's Dowd, which is the gray one in the photos. The casters are permanently installed to raise the instrument only about 1/4" above the floor to allow for ease of rolling within a room or onstage. They usually still need to be put on their sides to fit through doorways, but the harpsichord prof is quite pleased with the modifications.

    The thin spindle leg with the 3-wheel leg caster is on a fortepiano, and needs to be moved very carefully to prevent the leg from snapping off. The 3-wheel casters do work in a pinch for the harpsichords, but they do leave the instrument about 1" off the floor, which is really too much to leave on while being used.


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    John Minor
    University of Illinois
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Harpsichord Casters

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 07-04-2015 20:21

    Sounds good, John.

    Have others been able to view the images John posted? All I got were several "image not found" prompts.


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    Alan Eder, RPT
    Herb Alpert School of Music
    California Institute of the Arts
    Valencia, CA
    661.904.6483
    ------------------------------


    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Harpsichord Casters

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 07-04-2015 20:50

    No luck on viewing the photos, Safari or Firefox. I sent Clint a note.

    ------------------------------
    Fred Sturm
    University of New Mexico
    fssturm@unm.edu
    http://fredsturm.net
    http://www.artoftuning.com
    "We either make ourselves happy or miserable. The amount of work is the same." - Carlos Casteneda
    ------------------------------


    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Harpsichord Casters

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 07-04-2015 23:48



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    John Minor
    University of Illinois
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    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Harpsichord Casters

    Posted 07-05-2015 01:38

    I sent John my private email to try and get the pics up tomorrow.

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    Clint Sears
    Piano Technicians Guild
    Kansas City KS
    913-432-9975
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    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: Harpsichord Casters

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 07-06-2015 09:29

    Some years ago at IC I made trucks to use for the harpsichords. We still had to remove and replace the instrument for use and performance. Both the Hubbard and the Dowd are heavy instruments so I had a local builder make shorter legs. We used the original front to back stretchers in the design. One could argue about the aesthetics but for institutional use it works and I never heard complaints. The third harpsichord at IC has eight turned legs with stretchers at the bottom so it was not in the budget to make a shorter stand. I did make a truck for this instrument however as we needed to move it around the building safely.

    Here is a link to shop dollies posted by Barbara Richmond a few years ago:

    Harpsichord - Piano Technicians Guild Professional Communities

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    [Don] [McKechnie,] [RPT]
    [Piano Technician]
    [dmckech@ithaca.edu]
    [Home 607.277.7112]
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    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: Harpsichord Casters

    Posted 07-07-2015 11:33

    Donald - that's pretty neat! I did something similar in the old theatre at Glyndebourne for the heavy Two Manual + 7 Pedal Goble. I constructed a 'tray' with 'fiddle rails' all round, long enough to accommodate the width of the front legs, attached four swivel rubber tyred piano castors - one at each corner. When we had to move it around (which was frequent) I had only to pick it up at the 'sharp' end and, with someone to guide it at the keyboard end, trundle it to where-ever and remove the 'dolly'.   Michael  UK

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    Michael Gamble
    semi retired
    Brighton
    01273813612
    ------------------------------


    Original Message