Harpsichord

I have a harpsichordist friend who needs replacement jacks for a Sperhakke in Havana (she'll be going there in February). She says the original plastic is very brittle and breaking, and wondered if Zuckermanns would work. Can anyone answer that question for me? 

BTW, http://www.harpsichordjacks.net makes wooden replacements, including Sperhakke, but she thinks the wood might not hold up well in Cuba. Any thoughts on that?

Fred,

Search "harpsichord jack" on eBay.uk to find Hugh Craig generic jacks. They are overlong, and can be cut to fit. The body is 3.9 x 11mm. It will probably rattle a little in the jack rail, but can be made to work fairly well if you are clever and patient. My solution on a  1 x 8' lautenwerk conversion was to taper the dampers so that they push the jack to the side away from the string. Comparing two Sperrhakes, I found the jack rail slots were slightly different sized, so I would not expect a "just drop it in" replacement. Perhaps it would be less crucial with leather plectrum.

The jacks are made of a slick plastic, so you cannot size them with lacquer, as you can with wood or some plastics. You can apply strips of adhesive tape, but since the register on my conversion will not be moved on and off, the tapered damper was easier and more dependable.

Fred,

Amy Taylor may be able to help. She is the daughter of the late Robert Taylor who was the importer for Sperhhake.

amy2taylor.com

Don