Pianotech

I will be repairing a hitch pin “rail” (more akin to a bridge) on a harpsichord that has come unglued in parts from the soundboard. This is the shorter 4’ rank of a single manual Morley keyboard. I will need to loosen the strings and remove from the hitch pins, at least in sections where I will re-attach the hitch pin “rail.” Looking for any advice on keeping the strings on the tuning pins w/o having the wires unravel when I loosen the tension.

My thought was to use painter’s tape to wrap around the tuning pin to keep the wires in place. Or I am overly worried about this? My stringing experience of harpsichords is rather minimal at this point, in case that’s not clear.


Joe Wiencek
NYC

A Morley harpsichord would probably have zither pins and modern piano wire (thin, but stiff), so your idea of a bit of tape to keep the coil in place will probably reduce the amount of coils springing off the pins.

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Ed Sutton
ed440@me.com
(980) 254-7413
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-31-2022 22:02
From: Joe Wiencek
Subject: Keeping strings on harpsichord pins

I will be repairing a hitch pin "rail" (more akin to a bridge) on a harpsichord that has come unglued in parts from the soundboard. This is the shorter 4' rank of a single manual Morley keyboard. I will need to loosen the strings and remove from the hitch pins, at least in sections where I will re-attach the hitch pin "rail." Looking for any advice on keeping the strings on the tuning pins w/o having the wires unravel when I loosen the tension.

My thought was to use painter's tape to wrap around the tuning pin to keep the wires in place. Or I am overly worried about this? My stringing experience of harpsichords is rather minimal at this point, in case that's not clear.


Joe Wiencek
NYC

Original Message:
Sent: 10/31/2022 10:02:00 PM
From: Joe Wiencek
Subject: Keeping strings on harpsichord pins

I will be repairing a hitch pin “rail” (more akin to a bridge) on a harpsichord that has come unglued in parts from the soundboard. This is the shorter 4’ rank of a single manual Morley keyboard. I will need to loosen the strings and remove from the hitch pins, at least in sections where I will re-attach the hitch pin “rail.” Looking for any advice on keeping the strings on the tuning pins w/o having the wires unravel when I loosen the tension.

My thought was to use painter’s tape to wrap around the tuning pin to keep the wires in place. Or I am overly worried about this? My stringing experience of harpsichords is rather minimal at this point, in case that’s not clear.


Joe Wiencek
NYC

Original Message:
Sent: 10/31/2022 10:02:00 PM
From: Joe Wiencek
Subject: Keeping strings on harpsichord pins

I will be repairing a hitch pin “rail” (more akin to a bridge) on a harpsichord that has come unglued in parts from the soundboard. This is the shorter 4’ rank of a single manual Morley keyboard. I will need to loosen the strings and remove from the hitch pins, at least in sections where I will re-attach the hitch pin “rail.” Looking for any advice on keeping the strings on the tuning pins w/o having the wires unravel when I loosen the tension.

My thought was to use painter’s tape to wrap around the tuning pin to keep the wires in place. Or I am overly worried about this? My stringing experience of harpsichords is rather minimal at this point, in case that’s not clear.


Joe Wiencek
NYC

Zuckermann's _Modern Harpsichord_ shows a Morley harpsichord with the 4' hitchpin rail on the top of the soundboard. He states that the soundboard is birch plywood with a pine veneer on the top. The bottom of the case is open, and the soundboard is painted white.

If this is what you have, I begin to have evil thoughts...perhaps it is not necessary to remove the 4' strings. Could it be possible to loosen the strings, leaving them on the hitchpins and somehow pull down the rail to the soundboard...drill through and clamp it down with some temporary bolts, then fill the holes with hardwood dowels?

Think very carefully before adopting this idea!

------------------------------
Ed Sutton
ed440@me.com
(980) 254-7413
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-31-2022 22:02
From: Joe Wiencek
Subject: Keeping strings on harpsichord pins

I will be repairing a hitch pin "rail" (more akin to a bridge) on a harpsichord that has come unglued in parts from the soundboard. This is the shorter 4' rank of a single manual Morley keyboard. I will need to loosen the strings and remove from the hitch pins, at least in sections where I will re-attach the hitch pin "rail." Looking for any advice on keeping the strings on the tuning pins w/o having the wires unravel when I loosen the tension.

My thought was to use painter's tape to wrap around the tuning pin to keep the wires in place. Or I am overly worried about this? My stringing experience of harpsichords is rather minimal at this point, in case that's not clear.


Joe Wiencek
NYC

Original Message:
Sent: 11/1/2022 1:00:00 PM
From: Ed Sutton
Subject: RE: Keeping strings on harpsichord pins

Zuckermann's _Modern Harpsichord_ shows a Morley harpsichord with the 4' hitchpin rail on the top of the soundboard. He states that the soundboard is birch plywood with a pine veneer on the top. The bottom of the case is open, and the soundboard is painted white.

If this is what you have, I begin to have evil thoughts...perhaps it is not necessary to remove the 4' strings. Could it be possible to loosen the strings, leaving them on the hitchpins and somehow pull down the rail to the soundboard...drill through and clamp it down with some temporary bolts, then fill the holes with hardwood dowels?

Think very carefully before adopting this idea!

------------------------------
Ed Sutton
ed440@me.com
(980) 254-7413
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-31-2022 22:02
From: Joe Wiencek
Subject: Keeping strings on harpsichord pins

I will be repairing a hitch pin "rail" (more akin to a bridge) on a harpsichord that has come unglued in parts from the soundboard. This is the shorter 4' rank of a single manual Morley keyboard. I will need to loosen the strings and remove from the hitch pins, at least in sections where I will re-attach the hitch pin "rail." Looking for any advice on keeping the strings on the tuning pins w/o having the wires unravel when I loosen the tension.

My thought was to use painter's tape to wrap around the tuning pin to keep the wires in place. Or I am overly worried about this? My stringing experience of harpsichords is rather minimal at this point, in case that's not clear.


Joe Wiencek
NYC