Many years ago I visited the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and was able to see the original 1736 Hemsch double manual harpsichord on display. Since then, I've always wanted to build it, and when I turned 70 (a year and a half ago - ugh!) I decided I'd better do it while I was still able to physically work on such a large instrument (93 11/16" x 37 15/32"). I started working on it and got 2/3 of the way through when I got a couple of commissions and had to stop working on the Hemsch to build them. I finished the second commission in May and resumed working on the Hemsch. This week, I finally finished it. It was challenging, but a lot of fun nonetheless. For me, the most difficult part was the Louis XV cabriole stand. The aprons at the top of the stand flair out at 5 degrees to better match the curve of the legs. The stand alone took five weeks to build, but well worth the time.
Thanks for looking.
Ernie