Harpsichord Maintenance Tour FAQ
Copyright ©2010 CBH
Schedules from previous years
can be found here. |
Q: What are the two main types of equipment maintenance?
A: Firstly, operate to failure or breakdown. This a valid technique if
the cost on breakdown is not important. There are other factors, though, like
inconvenience or safety—nobody would want to fly in an aircraft maintained
on this basis! The second type of maintenance is preventative.
Q: My instrument doesn’t seem as good as it used to be. What has gone wrong?
A: Unfortunately, too many harpsichords reach this stage by default, merely
by gradual deterioration. For people using instruments on a daily basis, this
can sometimes be difficult to detect. Plectra don’t last forever, neither
do strings in corrosive or very humid environments. Keyboards need a little
love and attention from time to time, to adjust their level and spacing. If
one key begins to get sluggish and stick, the others probably aren’t
far behind. Action cloths and dampers wear out. When notes don’t work
because of quill, tongue or jack failure, the quick emergency cure of swapping
jacks around doesn’t really address the problem, and pretty soon trying
to play becomes frustrating rather than a pleasant experience.
Q: So perhaps I do need some help?
A: A little regular maintenance is wise, and can help prevent problems
in the future. For a musical instrument like a harpsichord, the consequences
of failure are not life-threatening, and regular maintenance is cost effective
and much cheaper in the long run. Institutions in particular must be encouraged
to make a small annual provision in their budget for the upkeep of their instruments:
I have seen too many schools with once-fine instruments deteriorated to deplorable
condition.
Q: How often does my harpsichord need servicing?
A: Frequency of service might depend on the quality of your instrument,
your own expectations and skills in keeping it running between-times, and other
variables like rate of use and environment. Instruments in institutional ownership
often have a particularly hard life, especially if there is nobody on staff
directly responsible for the care of the harpsichord. Maintaining a harpsichord
to a high level is not that different from the instructions found on the miracle
pump pack shower cleaner, extolling “For best results, begin with a clean shower”!
In other words, it is easier to look after an instrument which is well set-up,
truly appreciated and working correctly in the first place. The initial service
may be a little involved, especially if the harpsichord hasn’t had professional
attention in some time—subsequent services are often simpler.
Q: Why bother? Isn’t maintaining a harpsichord costly?
A: How many other pieces of specialized equipment are so fortunate as
a harpsichord? My three-year old French-made television recently broke down—certainly
not from overuse!—and cost me 30% of its replacement cost to have repaired.
When a good harpsichord is in perfect working order, it can probably be regularly
maintained on an annual basis by a professional for less than a few percent
of its replacement cost! A harpsichord which doesn’t work properly is of little
use to anyone.
Q: What about me asking a local harpsichord maker?
A: Harpsichord makers are rare humans in most parts of the world. When
you can find them, each reveal their own individual skills, interests, specialties—and
idiosyncrasies. You can appreciate that not all performing musicians are excellent
teachers. Likewise, not all harpsichord makers are competent technicians, who
must carry sufficient equipment, and be resourceful in the field to rapidly
and accurately diagnoze, explain and then correct problems which could result
from environment, poor setup, normal wear and tear, abuse or disaster. You are
indeed lucky if you have such an individual close by that you can cultivate.
Q: Or a local piano tuner?
A: A harpsichord has a keyboard, soundboard and strings, but pretty
soon its similarity with the piano fades. I enjoy working closely with piano
tuners around the world, many of whom evidence good hand skills and naturally
enquiring minds, and often more than a little interest in how the harpsichord
works. Such competent technicians can be very useful to you if you are stuck,
and perhaps need help to keep your instrument running smoothly between services
by a real harpsichord specialist.
Q: What can I do to minimize the amount of maintenance my harpsichord requires?
A: Take a pro-active approach to harpsichord upkeep, and study the ideas
on my Harpsichord
Longevity page.
Q: What sort of things can you do to help my instrument in the field?
A: Some instruments languish, often for want of simple adjustment because
of climatic difference. Others can benefit from a more comprehensive service
resulting in radical improvement to their tone, touch and reliability. I can
accomplish almost anything with complete professionalism in the field, often
surprizing owners by making their instruments play and sound better than when
new: Minor structural repairs, complete restringing, action rejuvenation, or
just a little regulation or neatening up…
Q: My instrument was not very expensive. Is it worthwhile for me to have
it serviced?
A: Only you can answer that. Any sort of musical instrument that doesn’t
work correctly, however, is of limited use and frustrating to attempt to play.
Harpsichords of all makes, types, qualities and prices require service from
time to time to ensure they are functioning correctly and will continue to give
you maximum enjoyment. Hopefully you don’t drive your car until it breaks down,
but rather expect to preserve your investment by giving it the expert care and
attention it occasionally requires.
Q: I don’t have any spare parts for my harpsichord. Is that a problem?
A: It can be. I travel with a selection of expendable goodies for various
makes and models, but it is a great help to know beforehand of any specific
problems or missing parts so I can be fully equipped to return your instrument
to its full potential.
|
 |
 |
Harpsichord Maintenance Tour 2010
Some more fun with the map facility in iMovie, tracing the route of Carey Beebe’s mid-2010 Harpsichord Maintenance Tour. |
|
Q: What sort of things might need doing on a first service?
A: This obviously varies according to instrument, but the following
is normal procedure:
- Remove keyboard/s, clean, remove dust from keybed, adjust tilt, level
and space
- Ease any sluggish or sticking keys before replacing keyboard/s
- Inspect instrument for any structural damage
- Replace odd or suspect strings
- Return jacks to correct position
- Replace any missing or broken tongues or plectra
- Check voicing and regulation
- Check and adjust keydip
- Check and adjust dampers
- Tune
- Attend to any specific problems identified by the owner
- Recommend future owner care to ensure long instrument life.
Q: What about more involved jobs?
A: Again, forewarned is forearmed. Over the years—with sufficient warning
and preparation—I’ve enjoyed challenging soundboard, structural and cosmetic
repairs; replacement of missing parts; or converting instruments to transposing.
Something like restringing an instrument in a day is entirely possible, and
I enjoy it very much.
A recent harpsichord repair onsite in Singapore…
Soundboard crack at spine end of 4´ cutoff bar
|
Soundboard crack levelled and glued
|
Soundboard decoration touched up and repair complete
|
Q: I suspect my harpsichord is a basket case. Can you help?
A: Occasionally I am confronted with an instrument that I cannot
viably improve with the available resources and time in the field. I trust,
however, that you can rely on my assessment of the best course of action. This
could be a recommendation for disposal, or arrangement for the instrument to
be prepared for transport to my workshop for thorough repair or restoration.
Q: How long have you been doing this?
A: I’ve been besotted with harpsichords for over twenty-five years,
and particularly active in their maintenance and upkeep since the late 1980s,
with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region. It flatters me that my services are
increasingly—and repeatedly—demanded in the more traditional harpsichord areas
of the globe where one would expect harpsichord makers to be more commonplace.
You can read a bit about me in my online résumé.
Q: What instruments do you work on?
A: I work on all types of early keyboard instruments like harpsichords,
spinets, virginals, clavichords, fortepianos and early pianos up to about 1830.
I have no expertise on modern pianos, and don’t touch them. In 2005, I assisted
private and institutional owners of instruments made by Atelier Marc Ducornet,
Carey Beebe, William de Blaise, Guido Bizzi, Bill Bright, Floyd Cammack, Patrick
Chevalier, Claviers Baroques, Jean-Louis Coquillat, Hugh Craig, Robert Deegan,
Arnold Dolmetsch, William Dowd, Marc Ducornet, Early Music Shop, Kevin Fryer,
Andrew Garlick, Robert Goble, Thomas Goff, Michael Heale, Eric Herz, Keith Hill,
Frank Hubbard, Hubbard & Broekman, Tony Hunt, Hugh Jones, Bruce Kennedy,
G C Klop, Richard Koch, John Koster, Alastair McAllister, Mars McMillan, Paul
McNulty, Chris Maene, Doug Maple, Willard Martin, Johannes Morley, Stephen Morris,
J C Neupert, Domenic Parker, THE PARIS WORKSHOP, John
Paul, Paul Poletti, Rod Regier, Richard Rephann, Theodore Robertson, David Rubio,
Sabathil & Son, Richard Schaumlöffel, Henk Schevikhoven, Knud Smenge, Sperrhake,
Mark Stevenson, John Storrs, Michael Thomas, Philip Tyre, Peter Watchorn, D
Jacques Way, Alan Winkler, Ryo Yoshida, Xavier Leigh-Flanders, Wolfgang Zuckermann,
Zuckermann Harpsichords International…
Q: How often do you do a harpsichord maintenance tour as crazy as this
looks?
A: Every odd year I circumnavigate the globe and am away from my workshop
for more than four months on a single trip. Yes, I still enjoy travel: I have
to. In the intervening even years, I usually take several shorter trips, often
for specific projects. Most of my work is now involved with hiring, tuning and
maintaining instruments—but I am still thrilled to actually build one or two
new instruments a year.
Q: How flexible are you with cities and dates?
A: Certain dates on the tour cannot be moved because of commitments
at various festivals, eg Yamanashi, Boston and Carmel. I stay in each Asian
city only the length of time required to perform the work that is pre-booked.
Within those limits, I have a little flexibility to juggle the itinerary.
Q: My city or country isn’t listed on your itinerary, but my instrument
needs you and you do appear to be passing nearby. Are you able to assist me?
A: Yes, I am able to travel almost anywhere, time and sanity permitting.
Sometimes sidetrips or diversions are possible, but I do like to plan well ahead.
Q: How do you charge?
A: I am prepared to undertake all work on early keyboards anywhere
on an hourly basis. Service on an instrument in the field does cost more than
in my workshop, and in common with many industries, the first hour on site is
charged at a higher rate than subsequent hours to help cover travel time. If
I am coming to a city solely and specifically for your job, I may also need
you to help cover my airfare and accommodation expenses.
Q: Isn’t your service expensive?
A: In any line of work, you can always find somebody who charges less.
However, please don’t solely compare my hourly rate to that charged by someone
who will in all likelihood take five times as long and leave your instrument
in a dubious condition. Nor should you expect to directly compare the fee charged
in your city for a piano tuning by a modern piano tuner, to what I must charge
for my work. My business continues to expand by word of mouth: I’ve yet
to have a customer complain that I do not offer exceptional value for money
for what I do.
Q: So, what does it cost? Can you give me a quote?
A: Please ask. I will gladly give you an estimate based on my experience
of the amount of time I feel it may take to accomplish the task you request
on your instrument. However, it’s only fair that the actual charge be based
on the time taken and materials used.
Q: How can I pay you?
A: I will eMail you an itemized invoice as a pdf after the work is complete.
All invoices are NETT 7 DAYS. I prefer payment by telegraphic transfer direct to my account, or by bank
draft in Australian dollars—which your bank can prepare and you then airmail
to me. (Details can be found on the Export
Advice page.)
Q: How can I book a service?
A: For attention to your private or institutional early keyboards, or
help with any special project, please contact Carey
Beebe now.
Q: How can I assist at service time?
A: There are several ways instrument owners can ensure they receive
the highest quality service:
- Make your requirements for your instrument/s known as far ahead as possible
- Provide comfortable, smoke-free work surroundings with good light
- Eliminate possible disturbance by removing noisy children and large animals
- Remember your technician needs occasional care, feeding and sleep!
