Harpsichord

I have recently agreed, for some perverse reason, to restring and voice a pedal driven Neupert from the late '50's. Two perhaps foolish questions: what kind of glue will stick the damper felt easily to the little metal tabs and did they use high tensile iron? The strings I have removed are badly corroded but feel much stiffer than the usual harpsichord iron. I'm going to try Zuckermann wire and see if it holds but thought someone might know the definitive answer.


--Dave

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New Orleans
504-263-2923
algiers_piano@bellsouth.net
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Definitely high tension wire. For glue, perhaps something in the contact cement area (I hate contact cement, but I think it would work). Though it might be that hot hide would stick well enough to the metal. I would try it.

Voicing should be a challenge. Are you retaining the original plectra? They do last "forever" but 50/60 years is starting to push things. I believe they are round in cross section, no? As I recall, replacements come looking like a flimsy hairbrush, an you cut off individual "bristles". With the piano stop (backing off the register a little to make it softer), the voicing has to work in both positions. I have never even replaced a plectrum on a Neupert of that vintage, just turned the adjustment screws, and shuddered to think of doing a re-quill.

-------------------------------------------
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm@unm.edu
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination." - Einstein
-------------------------------------------






Original Message:
Sent: 10-05-2011 13:48
From: David Doremus
Subject: Neupert questions


I have recently agreed, for some perverse reason, to restring and voice a pedal driven Neupert from the late '50's. Two perhaps foolish questions: what kind of glue will stick the damper felt easily to the little metal tabs and did they use high tensile iron? The strings I have removed are badly corroded but feel much stiffer than the usual harpsichord iron. I'm going to try Zuckermann wire and see if it holds but thought someone might know the definitive answer.


--Dave

-------------------------------------------
New Orleans
504-263-2923
algiers_piano@bellsouth.net
-------------------------------------------

Hi Fred, this is an odd case. I have a lot of the round quills that I picked up years ago because I take care of 3 of the little single manual (1x8, 1x4) Neuperts, two of which get used a lot for continuo by choirs, the opera, chamber groups and the like. I figured I better have a supply. Yes, they are like comb teeth. I have never requilled an entire intrument but I'm about to learn how it goes ;) This one sat in an attic during and after Katrina and then the owner passed away. It was adopted by a close friend, who wants it to work, not be a performing instrument. It'll be more of a useful memento. The strings are breaking and corroded to point of growing so they, and the dampers, are my first concern, then I'll worry about the plectra. Amazingly, the soundboard is solid, pins unpitted and bridges and hitch pin rails still tight. These were built like tanks. The pedal linkage is rusted but seems like it will clean up fairly easily, so I have hopes that it will work again. I don't like contact cement, I was hoping for something that would glue to metal with a clean dab. They must have had something like that when they built them. Hot hide does not do it, I think it cools too fast when applied to metal. Cold hide does work but I have to hold it or clamp it while it dries, same with burnt shellac. I may try extra thick CA but the permanence of that bothers me. There was a Neupert rep in the US years ago, whose daughter took over, but I can't remember his or her name and don't have it preserved in any of my files. Thanks for the reply.

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---Dave

New Orleans
504-263-2923
algiers_piano@bellsouth.net
-------------------------------------------

here's their website and email address.   They speak English and are very helpful. 

http://www.jc-neupert.de/

jc-neupert@arcor.de

-------------------------------------------
Anne Acker
Owner
Savannah GA
912-704-3048
-------------------------------------------






Original Message:
Sent: 10-05-2011 20:35
From: David Doremus
Subject: Neupert questions

Hi Fred, this is an odd case. I have a lot of the round quills that I picked up years ago because I take care of 3 of the little single manual (1x8, 1x4) Neuperts, two of which get used a lot for continuo by choirs, the opera, chamber groups and the like. I figured I better have a supply. Yes, they are like comb teeth. I have never requilled an entire intrument but I'm about to learn how it goes ;) This one sat in an attic during and after Katrina and then the owner passed away. It was adopted by a close friend, who wants it to work, not be a performing instrument. It'll be more of a useful memento. The strings are breaking and corroded to point of growing so they, and the dampers, are my first concern, then I'll worry about the plectra. Amazingly, the soundboard is solid, pins unpitted and bridges and hitch pin rails still tight. These were built like tanks. The pedal linkage is rusted but seems like it will clean up fairly easily, so I have hopes that it will work again. I don't like contact cement, I was hoping for something that would glue to metal with a clean dab. They must have had something like that when they built them. Hot hide does not do it, I think it cools too fast when applied to metal. Cold hide does work but I have to hold it or clamp it while it dries, same with burnt shellac. I may try extra thick CA but the permanence of that bothers me. There was a Neupert rep in the US years ago, whose daughter took over, but I can't remember his or her name and don't have it preserved in any of my files. Thanks for the reply.

-------------------------------------------

---Dave

New Orleans
504-263-2923
algiers_piano@bellsouth.net
-------------------------------------------

One possibility is glue gun hot glue. Might be worth an experiment. A small line on the felt, then put it in place. It might set too fast though, or not bond well enough.
There was some glue in a tube that was recommended for felt to the front of plastic jacks, and I had some for a long time. Barge cement is the name that comes to mind. It was sort of like contact cement in being pretty universal (stick to anything) and staying sticky for a good while but holding in place while it dried. I don't know if it is still around.
- Well, I googled and it is available, and it may be a contact cement, though that is not entirely clear. The few times I used it, I didn't put it on both surfaces, let dry, then put the pieces together. I just put a line on the felt and pressed it on the jack. It worked pretty well, adjustable for a few minutes and they didn't come off.

"I was hoping for something that would glue to metal with a clean dab."
-------------------------------------------
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm@unm.edu
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination." - Einstein
-------------------------------------------

These were originally done with contact cement.  High quality double stick tape from art supply stores also works well.

Hot melt glue has been successfully used by some harpsichord restorers.



-------------------------------------------
Anne Acker
Owner
Savannah GA
912-704-3048
-------------------------------------------






Original Message:
Sent: 10-05-2011 21:16
From: Fred Sturm
Subject: Neupert questions

One possibility is glue gun hot glue. Might be worth an experiment. A small line on the felt, then put it in place. It might set too fast though, or not bond well enough.
There was some glue in a tube that was recommended for felt to the front of plastic jacks, and I had some for a long time. Barge cement is the name that comes to mind. It was sort of like contact cement in being pretty universal (stick to anything) and staying sticky for a good while but holding in place while it dried. I don't know if it is still around.
- Well, I googled and it is available, and it may be a contact cement, though that is not entirely clear. The few times I used it, I didn't put it on both surfaces, let dry, then put the pieces together. I just put a line on the felt and pressed it on the jack. It worked pretty well, adjustable for a few minutes and they didn't come off.

"I was hoping for something that would glue to metal with a clean dab."
-------------------------------------------
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm@unm.edu
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination." - Einstein
-------------------------------------------

Thanks for the replies. Fred, barge cement does pop up quickly, I'll try some. Remember the old Hubbard dampers that were glued to little plastic bits that screwed to the jacks? I've never been able to do a clean job with contact cement on anything that small. Anne, I dealt with them a few years ago and found the experience frustrating. Although in the end I got exactly what I needed, communicating was not that easy. That was a case of one of their more historical instruments with wooden jacks that was quilled in leather and I wanted to replace the tongues with ones slotted for delrin. It all worked out but at one point I was tearing my hair out because I had transferred money and had no tracking numbers or any way to know that the parts had shipped, or even what carrier, and they were not returning emails. I'll try them again, maybe they have a new guy handling foreign communication ;)


-------------------------------------------

---Dave

New Orleans
504-263-2923
algiers_piano@bellsouth.net
-------------------------------------------






Original Message:
Sent: 10-05-2011 21:28
From: Anne Acker
Subject: Neupert questions


These were originally done with contact cement.  High quality double stick tape from art supply stores also works well.

Hot melt glue has been successfully used by some harpsichord restorers.



-------------------------------------------
Anne Acker
Owner
Savannah GA
912-704-3048
-------------------------------------------






Original Message:
Sent: 10-05-2011 21:16
From: Fred Sturm
Subject: Neupert questions

One possibility is glue gun hot glue. Might be worth an experiment. A small line on the felt, then put it in place. It might set too fast though, or not bond well enough.
There was some glue in a tube that was recommended for felt to the front of plastic jacks, and I had some for a long time. Barge cement is the name that comes to mind. It was sort of like contact cement in being pretty universal (stick to anything) and staying sticky for a good while but holding in place while it dried. I don't know if it is still around.
- Well, I googled and it is available, and it may be a contact cement, though that is not entirely clear. The few times I used it, I didn't put it on both surfaces, let dry, then put the pieces together. I just put a line on the felt and pressed it on the jack. It worked pretty well, adjustable for a few minutes and they didn't come off.

"I was hoping for something that would glue to metal with a clean dab."
-------------------------------------------
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm@unm.edu
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination." - Einstein
-------------------------------------------