![[C3-A1770.33 Clavichord]](Goermans 3-4 view.gif)
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Signature: The instrument is unsigned and undated.
Rose: There is no rose.
Scantlings:
| Element | Length | Height | Thickness | Wood |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back/Front: | 940* | 119 | 113 | mahogany on ? pine |
| End: | 335 | 119 | 11.0 | mahogany on ? pine |
| Keywell: | 699 | 41 | 12.5** | mahogany on ? pine |
| Sndbd front: | 184 | 119 | 11.5 | mahogany on ? pine |
| Lid: | 948 | 219/119 | 11.0 | mahogany |
| Baseboard: | Flemish style | 40.5 | ?pine |
Inside case dimensions - Length: 917. Width: 310
Soundboard to the top of the case: 32.
Hitchplank to the top of the case: 25½
* not including the moulding ** including the facing veneerThe instrument was originally constructed with a pine case which was later veneered over with mahogany except for the spine. The outside of the lower part of the case is surrounded by a thin mahogany batten about 8mm thick. The case joins appear to be hidden dovetails, and the keywell braces are probably also dovetailed to the front. Originally the instrument was probably about 111mm high before the present mahogany capping piece was added to it.
Fretting:
The treble notes are double fretted leaving the notes a and d free,
and in the bass the notes are unfretted from C to B.
Keyboard:
Compass: C - e³, 53 notes. 3-octave span: 476
Total width of keyboard at the natural fronts: 697
Sharp length: 62 Naturals head length: 34½
Length of keylevers: Bass: 249 Treble: ~294
Balance point to front of natural: Bass: 107 Treble: 111
Scalings:
| String Length | |
|---|---|
| e³ | 70 |
| c³ | 93½ |
| f² | 145½ |
| c² | 187½ |
| f¹ | 267½ |
| c¹ | 341 |
| f | 468 |
| c | 570½ |
| F | 711 |
| C | 820 |
The instrument is double-strung throughout. The short c² scaling indicates that this instrument should be tuned to a high pitch, but the exact pitch is not clear. Strung in iron it could be tuned to a pitch of R + 8 an octave higher than those clavichords at R or, strung in brass it could be tuned to a pitch of R + 5 a fifth above those clavichords at R. These two pitch possibilities are both referred to clavichords strung in brass and with c² scalings of about 285 to 290mm.
Soundboard gauge markings:
There are no indications of gauge markings on the keys or soundboard.
The note names are written beside each pair of tuning pins using the usual
German system.
Pin dimensions:
| Element | Bridge Pins | Hitch Pins | Tuning Pins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diameter: | 1.34 | 1.1 | 3.7 |
| Height: | 2.4-3.2 | 2.5 | 24-25 |
| Material | brass | brass | iron |
Total length of the tuning pins: ?
The bridge is not back-pinned.
Keyboard pin dimensions:
| Element | Balance Pins |
|---|---|
| Diameter: | 2.4 |
| Height/Length: | 16.5 |
| Material: | iron |
| Bridge | C | c | c¹ | c² | c³ | e³ | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | 8.1 | 8.3 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 7.2 | = height | |
| b | 10.8 | 10.2 | 10.5 | 10.3 | 9.8 | 10.6 | = width at base | |
| c | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.5 | = top chamfer |
Soundboard wood quality:
The soundboard is of fairly even grain with about 30 rings in each 2.5 cms.
Materials:
| Section | Material |
|---|---|
| Hitchpin rail: | mahogany veneer on oak |
| Wrestplank: | ? oak |
| Internal framing: | pine |
| Liners: | ? |
| Nameboard: | pine with mahogany top, sycamore veneer |
| Bridge: | beech |
| Naturals: | ebony |
| Sharps: | stained ?lime or ?fruitwood topped with ivory |
| Balance rail: | oak |
| Key guide system: | keys are rear-guided by whalebone stripes in a rack |
| Key arcades: | mahogany |
| Keylevers: | lime |
| Rack: | oak |
| Soundboard: | ? spruce |
| Soundboard moulding: | mahogany |
| Case veneer: | mahogany on pine |
| Soundbars: | ? spruce |
| Stand: | there is no stand |
Decoration:
Except for the spine the outside of the case is decorate with French polished mahogany veneer with sycamore
stringing dividing the surfaces into panels. The inside of the keywell cheeks and the nameboard are decorated
in negative with sycamore veneer divided into panels by mahogany stringing. The soundwell is of the coniferous
case wood stained dark brown to match the mahogany veneer of the rest of the case. The keylevers are chamfered
to the usual ridge carving, with scallops at either end.
Signature and dating:
The clavichord is unsigned and undated. Many features of its construction suggest,
that it was originally of German manufacture dating probably from around the end of the seventeenth
or the beginning of the eighteenth century. The outer veneer of mahogany is English in style and
may date from around the end of the eighteenth century.
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