A Large Harpsichord I made

[george wilson]

As requested by John in the newbie thread,here is a large harpsichord I made for the new Music Teacher's Shop in 1970-71. This is one of the first things I had to make when I came to Williamsburg at age 29. This was a quantum leap for me at the time,because I'd made only 1 simpler harpsichord before.

This was the first time I ever actually had a real harpsichord to examine: The Kirkman in the Governor's Palace was the one I was to copy.

Fortunately,there was a Kirkman in the Smithsonian just the same model as ours,and it had the bottom taken off,so I was able to examine and make quick drawings of its interior construction.The Wmsbg. one was good for getting the exterior details,keyboard,and action.

I was new at my job,and worked like a dog for 9 months getting this ready for the formal opening of the Music Teacher's Shop. I was not open to the public for my first year so I could expedite the instruments they needed.

This instrument is mahogany,with mahogany burl veneer panels on its sides,and curly maple stringing around the panels.The keyboard is basswood with ivory keys,and ebony sharps. There are no pictures of the hinges,but the hardware was cast in the Geddy Foundry right off the originals.

Several years later,I got an apprentice who thought he was a great photographer.He took this image,though it is not well focused.Possibly,the room,lit only by candles,was not lighted well enough for a better image,as he did not use lights.

The soundboard is spruce,with a brass rose I sawed out in it. the nameboard is curly maple and says "Geo.D.Wilson me fecit MCMLXXI." Every now and then a young student learning Roman numerals would ask why it said 1971!!

The veneering was one of the hardest hurdles,as no one,including the Master Cabinet Maker,Jan Heuvel,had ever done veneering. I had a learning curve,and a LOT at stake,but I veneered it with hide glue. It is still on.

The case has a highly polished hand applied varnish finish,as did the original.Probably at least 10 coats,wet sanded between each,and hand rubbed finally.It is felt by some experts that such a finish reflected candle light better. Others think high finishes were not used. I agree with the former,as I've seen plenty of original high finishes.

You can see the lid hooks on the side of the case.The 2 brass knobs over the keyboard are to shift either or both choirs of strings on. The harpsichord works by means of wooden jacks that have several pieces each,and a quill of bird quill,turkey in this case,that pluck the strings. The instrument cannot play in variable volume like a piano by striking the keys harder. To play louder,you shift on more choirs of strings. There could be as many as 5 choirs of strings,and 2 keyboards.

It is felt that in the colonies,this would have been a pretty grand instrument.

Over the "jacks" there is a long batten of wood. This had felt on its bottom,and kept the jacks from jumping out of the instrument.

There are thousands of parts in a harpsichord even this large,and like I mentioned,I worked very hard for 9 straight months on it. I not only had to build it,I made an elaborate bending jig to bend the bentside and the curved bridge.

These instruments are more related to guitar construction than piano construction. The soundboard is a bit over 1/8" thick in the center,tapering near the edges. The bottom is 1/2" thick spruce. The sides all around are 5/8" thick.the straight side,or spine is 3/4". The lids are 3/8" thick. I could actually carry this instrument under one arm when I was young. It is about 7' long and 3' wide.

behind the harpsichord is partly seen a spinet,a smaller version of a harpsichord,similar to the one we made in the movie.

[Clay Thigpen]

George What haven't you made?

[george wilson]

I don't like to work with cloth,and can only wonder how women knit things like sweaters,or make nice fitting clothes!

[Justin Cavender]

you still taking apprentices George? lol You are definetly a master craftsmen

[george wilson]

My wife thinks I should offer classes. I don't know if that is practical.

[Brian Kent]

How's this? I tried a little color adjustment and light levels tweak:

[Dewey Torres]

George,
How many publications, articles, professional type things, have you been involved in? Please post.:cool:

[Rob Luter]

My wife thinks I should offer classes. I don't know if that is practical.

I think that is a fantastic idea.

[John Shuk]

George,
Thanks for posting this. I am just blown away by what you do. Each object is better than the next.

[george wilson]

Brian,thank you for the better image. I was getting too tired out last night to adjust the image.Yours is a much more accurate representation of the actual colors.

[Charles Bishop]

Dewey, I was thumbing through a copy of "The Craftsman in America", published by the National Geographic Society in 1975 and discovered a couple of pages about George D. Wilson, "blond and lanky master instrument-maker at Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia". There is a full page photo of a handsome young George Wilson dressed in period clothing, putting the final touches on a violin. It provides some insight into his selection and feelings about working wood for musical instruments. A brief but very good read.

[Richard Wolf]

When working at Williamsburg, not open to the public, did you preform your work in the same manner as when you were on display?
I recall visits to Williamsburg, visiting the Hay shop when work was being done on harpsichords, I found them to be fascinateing.
Beautiful work.

Richard

[george wilson]

No,Richard. When I was in a non public situation,I was there to get the job accomplished as efficiently as possible. This does not mean that certain tasks were not best done by hand.It means that grunt work,like planing boards down,would be done by machine.The varnish finish on the harpsichord was hand applied,and hand rubbed. The mechanisms in the action were hand planed to fit.Jacks were numbered. Each key was tinkered with until it worked its best.

Things like saw handles were bandsawed out,but still mostly hand contoured by hand,because the rounded contours changed in radius as you went around the handle.

[Charles Bodner]

Beautiful. Wait... you were 29? and had never seen a real harpsichord before? and then built one? That works?
Did you have to sell your soul?
As far as classes, how about if you just make something, let us watch (we'd pay) and let us ask questions.

[Richard Dooling]

George, I'm glad that I'm comfortable with my level of incompetence cause you’re starting to give me a complex!

Seriously, this body of work you have started sharing is really awe inspiring. You make me want to be a better woodworker – so that’s what I’ll do. I might not be able to reach up to your level but I can do better than I'm doing now.

Thanks!

Oh, I vote for a book too.

[george wilson]

Yes,Charles.I was 29,and had made a simpler Italian harpsichord from reading a book by Frank Hubbard about the history of harpsichords. It had small drawings,but except for the dimensions of the case,there were no detailed dimensions,or photographs.

On that first harpsichord that I had made before coming here,while it did work,I got the jacks too large,and had a few other problems. In Williamsburg,I really was exposed to so much new information. I had access to the Smithsonian's restoration workshops. There was an awful lot to absorb. I had a lot of energy then,and a lot of drive to prove myself. They kept giving me raises every 6 months.After the first 6 months,if you had proven satisfactory,you got a raise. Then,there was the annual raise. Well,I'd see the raise and think "I'll never be worth this raise!" I'd go back to the shop and work even harder. The truth was,I was still not making much money,because it cost so much more to live in Va.,and I had a house in N.Carolina that was costing me $125.00 a month. I sold it,but the market was bad,and I only got $2000.00 in my hand after paying payments for 6 years. Up here,I was paying $250.00 to rent a farm hand's house far away from my job. It took 14 years to get to where I could again buy a house.

I was fed up with teaching,though,and able to at least build instruments. Over the long years I finally got decent pay,and built up a good shop.

Apprentices are hired for less than they can get at a fast food hamburger place. $9.99 an hour. It is rough,but they want to learn. Even hired as a Master,I was unable to buy clothes for a year. Raises back then were a lot better than they are now(less than 2%). I think I lived in the "golden years" of the craftsman in the museum.

[Charles Bodner]

george, I'm very glad that you found your spot and could grow your magic. I find your work thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring. Your kind comments, as well.
Chuck

[Jameel Abraham]

There is a rather famous harpsichord builder about 30 miles from me. I saw his work once and it motivated me to want to build a harpsichord. Now I'm motivated again. But 9 months of free-time work would translate into a lifetime. I'm enjoying every one of your posts George. Thank God you have a computer!

[george wilson]

Jameel,I built each piece from scratch. I wonder if you can still get jacks? they would be plastic,but less troublesome than wooden(pearwood) ones. Harpsichords require constant tinkering,which people back then learned how to do. There might also be some decent kits with real bentsides(rather than the old Zuckermans(sp?),which were a rectangle with a side whacked off at an angle. Dutch models were painted,so you wouldn't have to veneer.

Without all the wooden parts,and veneer,it wouldn't take 9 months.