Russell Collection of Early
Keyboard Instruments

St Cecilia's Hall, Niddry Street, Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1 1LJ

C1-A1700.21: Fretted clavichord, anonymous. Germany, c.1700

RESTORATION of GERMAN FRETTED CLAVICHORD c 1700.(C1-A1700.21)

PREVIOUS CONDITION
The balance mortices of nearly every key were badly worn, particularly those of keys 2 and 8. The wear on these mortices had caused the keys to tilt, which had caused the guide tongues to jam. In most cases the guide tongues had been shaved. The decorative embossed parchment key fronts were very dirty and five were partly or completely missing. Eight balance pins were oversize replacements and the rest were rusted and pitted.

There was one pair of close copper covered brass strings, and the clumsily fitted plain strings of brass varied from .011" to .0165". These are returned. Six tuning pins, also returned, were replacements but the rest have every appearance of being original and were in good condition.

The soundboard had been strengthened and propped up, access having been obtained by cutting out a large section of the baseboard which was subsequently glued back into position. The bridge had been badly reglued and the soundboard had been bruised in its vicinity.

The case had been moderately attacked by furniture beetles, the right hand back corner joint had separated and the baseboard moulding at each end were partly loose.

THE KEYS
The balance mortices of keys 41 and 43 were almost unworn since these high accidentals are used little and the keys are almost straight. All the other keys were repaired by plugging with cross-grain plugs of beech inserted from the underside leaving the top surface untouched. T he keys were then redrilled to fit the cleaned balance pins. The balance mortices of keys 2 and 8 needed larger inserts. New guide tongues of boxwood were fitted to 27 keys whose tongues of hornbeam (mostly returned) were worn or returned. Eleven new balance pins were fitted, the oversize holes being plugged with cross grained oak plugs. Five new keyfronts of embossed parchment were made for keys 2, 4, 8, 23 and 40. New leather strips were made to replace the old, possibly original, ones upon which the keys balance. A new strip of felt was tacked in place under the rear ends of the keys using the old tack holes The black colouring curing of the sharps was improved.

THE STRINGING
The following gauges were used:

Using plain strings throughout the sound is good down to E, and D is a little worse. The inferiority of C is largely due to the distance between the tangent and hitch pins being 1.34" on one string and 1.07" on the other. The slightest extra pressure on the key causes the two strings to diverge in pitch. It is most unlikely that covered strings would have originally been fitted and the benefit of doing so now would seem to be very slight.

Six new tuning pins were fitted, the oversize holes being filled with cross-grained plugs of walnut. The old pins were cleaned. Piano check tape dyed red was used for listing and fastened at the treble end to a new pin in one of several old holes. A tuning key was made.

THE SOUNDBOARD

The soundboard has evidently had at one time a bar of mahogany running from front to back. The position of this is clearly shown in photograph 2 and two small splinters of mahogany were still present amongst the glue. This must have been an earlier repair. The top of the soundboard before restoration is shown in photograph 3.

A short piece of pine was found glued across one of the numerous splits is of greater interest since it may be part of an original bar. The position in which it was found may be seen in photograph no. 2, and it is returned with the rest of the parts removed from the instrument. On cleaning the underside of the soundboard of its applications of cloth, wood and glue, a clear mark became visible, apparently that of an original bar near the treble end of the bridge. This may be seen in photograph 4.

The bar appears to have been 3½" long with an undercut portion about ¾" long in the middle. The bar found under the soundboard fits the mark perfectly except that it is only 2½" long. It is therefore almost certain that it is the original bar but has for some reason been reduced in length. A new bar 3½" long was fitted to the marks and this may be seen in photograph 5. Mr. Rhodes and Mr. Thomas inspected the cleaned soundboard before the bar was fitted and agreed with my deductions. The acoustic result of the bar is good. Three holes in the walnut bridge were plugged.

GENERAL REMARKS.
Scarcely any permanent damage has been done by the crude repairs which the instrument has suffered and remarkably few of the original parts are missing. Its present state should give an accurate insight into the characteristics of clavichords of this type and period. The fretting of three notes on many of the strings precludes the more legato style of playing possible on clavichords with only one or two tangents to each course. The short sustaining power, which results from the lightness of the bridge and the tangents, is no doubt suited to this less legato style. The whole instrument is excellently made of good materials and is almost untwisted. Unstrung the twist was 0.1" and under tension this increased to 0.2".

Two sizes of semitone ratio have been used in marking out the frets of the keyboard. The maker appears to have used ratios of 22 : 23 for the chromatic semitones and 15 : 16 for the diatonic semitones. These give intervals of 76 and 113 cents respectively which are good working approximations to the values of 76 and 117 demanded by ¼ comma meantone temperament. Claas Douwes 1699, preferred ratios of 23 : 24 and 14 : 15, giving 74 and 119 cents respectively. The three lowest frets require the tangents to be splayed for correct tuning. The fretting distances have been set to conform to ¼ comma meantone as follows:-

It is essential that it should always be tuned to this system, the wolf being L - G. This can be done without using tempered intervals since the fretting enables the octave to be tuned using only pure thirds. modern pitch may be used.

The remains of an ink inscription may be seen on the baseboard below the top key. Unfortunately the makers name has long ago vanished and all that can now be recognised is part of the word "verfertigt".

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