CAUT

  • 1.  Solo harpsichord move

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-24-2019 17:22
    As long as we were talking about things like solo removal of a concert grand lid and solo moving an upright, I thought I'd share this video I made recently of moving a double manual harpsichord solo. I do this all the time with a single manual. Double is heavier and more awkward, but not that hard to do. It helps a lot to have loop straps on the cover at the treble end. It also helps to have a two wheel dollie instead of the usual four wheel, though I have used essentially the same method for a 4 wheel dollie - except in two stages, each to a lower chair/bench, tail and keyboard end.

    The first step is to move the harpsichord on the stand so there is room for it to be "side-ended" and be stable. Then shift the keyboard end far enough that the tail will be able to clear the stand's cross member. Lower tail onto chair (in this case). Lower keyboard end into well-positioned dollie (I cut it too close, and was half an inch on the edge of the dollie, so had to lift and adjust).

    I just did the video when I had occasion to do a move a couple weeks ago, thinking I'd like to document it. No trial run, just real time get it done.

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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
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     Video


  • 2.  RE: Solo harpsichord move

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-24-2019 17:26
    The software seemed to accept the video, but it doesn't show up among the attachments. I put it on YouTube https://youtu.be/-9E8PPaOljE
    Regards,
    Fred Sturm
    "I am only interested in music that is better than it can be played." Schnabel






  • 3.  RE: Solo harpsichord move

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-24-2019 18:03
    Super impressive Fred. So basically to cobble a Dollie like that together you just select a nice basic hand truck, cut off some length accordingly, add the wood "tray" part along with the straps?? Is that correct? 
    This could be an incredible advantage for a lot of situations.

    A couple of years after my arrival here at Texas Tech, I built a ginormous wood dolly specifically for our Kingston double. It's cage was fine but in order to replace a string on it, or to move it out for use...someone would have to crawl underneath the stand...😳😳🤦🏻‍♂️...to help move it out of the cage. Now any slightly trained recital hall stage hands can move it out & back in pretty easily. 
    Big disadvantage: its too big to move through "normal" doorways. (But for me that's a big advantage so that there are limited places this instrument can be used. For other (probably many) situations I love your method!

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    [Kevin] [Fortenberry] [RPT]
    [Staff Techician]
    [Texas Tech Univ]
    [Lubbock] [TX]
    [8067783962]
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  • 4.  RE: Solo harpsichord move

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-24-2019 18:15
    Here are photos I took of someone's more professionally made two wheel dollie: oak, and better design - I cobbled mine together as I went, working on memory of having seen one once. I built the box, then added 2 x 4s to the bottom, I think three, screwing each to the last with 3" phillips screws - power screwdriver. Makes it easy to disassemble and redo, which I needed to do in order to adjust the balance point. Mine will balance either direction, tail down or keyboard down.

    I have two, one large for doubles and a small for singles. I move a single for rentals many times a year, solo. The dollie is wonderful, as it will walk up steps of curbs if needed, and I can tilt to upend (keyboard down) in an elevator, should that be necessary. I generally balance the stand on top of the instrument, to save an extra trip. Drive it up to the van to load tail first, remove the straps, slide the instrument in a ways, tilt back onto its bottom, slide the rest of the way. Reverse for unloading.

    The handle in the photo is a nice touch, but would get in the way of upending. 


    Regards,
    Fred Sturm
    "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." Twain






  • 5.  RE: Solo harpsichord move

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-25-2019 17:20
    Here are some better photos of the single manual two wheel dollie I made (second try - my first was for a double manual). After I had the three 2 x 4s attached to the bottom (raising the level of the dollie to be easier to manage, and especially easier to lift the harpsichord in and out), I ran a couple bolts through. I adjusted the size so that I can stand it up vertically with the wheels down (nice for taking up less space). I think everything else should be pretty much self-explanatory. Nothing fancy, but has served well for perhaps 100+ moves so far.



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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
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