History:

May be, You know the Old Joke: „What is better: a Violin or a Harpsichord?“ Answer:

„The Harpsichord because the Fire is Burning
a Longer Time“.

During the French Revolution of 1789 there was a Decree to bring the Inventary of the Castles to Paris. After some Time, in the Courtyard of the Conservatory had been 600 Harpsichords in the Rain. Only few Instruments with Expensive Decoration had been stored inside the Building.
And then came a Strong and Cold Winter and most of the Instruments outside had been Burned.

When around 1968 the Pioneers like Rainer Schütze, Martin Skowronek, William Dowd, Frank Hubbard, Wolfgang Zuckermann went in the Museums to Copy Old Harpsichords, they found mostly Expensive Decorated Flemish and French Harpsichords.

Since they could not offer a Flemish Copy with
a Compass less then 4 Octaves, they had to Widen the Case or Copy an Instrument, whose Compass was Extended in the 18th Century.
They even Copied the Size of the Strings, that had been far too Thin, because Pianomakers, which have Restored those Instruments, didn´t want to Destroy them with a Heavy Stringing.

As the Times go by, a Lot of Research had been done on the Instruments, the Music, the Practice of Making Music, the Composers, the Players.

The Instrument Builders made Traverso from Wood, made Copies of Baroque Violins with the low pressure Neck-Angle and the Round Bow; They made Viola da Gambas and Lutes.

More and more Harpsichords were found on Lofts.

This was the modern „Renaissance“ of the Early Music and The Developement is going on.

Limits:

Frank Hubbard and Wolfgang Zuckermann had the Idea, to Offer Factory made „Harpsichord Kits“, Prefabricated and „Easy to Finish in Every Kitchen“.
This Idea has Converted, because Normally the next Harpsichord Maker had to „repair“ This Attempt and make the Instrument Playable.
Now they Sell their Kits to "Harpsichord Maker", they Finish the Instrument and Sell it as Product of the Highest Quality and Some under her Own Name.

The Violin Player with his Standard Education on a Modern Violin has Big Problems in the Beginning, to Play a Baroque Violin, but He is Learning, that he can do Things with That Instrument, Not Possible on a Modern Violin. And May be, he Likes the Different Timbre and Sound Qualities.

But then he Insists, that the Harpsichord Player do not use a Factory Made PhantasiaInstrument: he should use a Close Copy of a Good Old Instrument.

REFERENCES
until  12/1999  

Since now, I have made ca. 150 Harpsichords or Fortepianos.

Some Examples of the Owners:

 
University of Bremen
University of Essen, Institut Duisburg
University of Hamburg
University of Detmold, Institut Münster
University of Tübingen, Musikwissenschaftliches Institut
University of  Mainz
University of Frankfurt am Main
University of  Paris (France)
University Mozarteum of  Salzburg (Austria)
Opera Leipzig
Frank’sche Stiftung Halle

University of the Philippines, Manila

Bangkok Opera, Thailand

Conservatory of Mainz

Dr. Hoch Conservatory Frankfurt 

Prof. Dr. J. Ruhrmann (Hamburg)
Prof. Dr. H. Boehncke (Hamburg)
Prof. Renate Breilmann (Münster)
Prof. Konrad Hünteler (Münster)
Prof. Martin Nitz (Hamburg)
Prof. Dr. Walter Opp (Erlangen)
Prof. Siegbert Rampe (Köln)
Prof. Dr. Friedrich Wilhelm Riedel (Mainz)

Prof. Michael Schopper (Frankfurt)

  Prof. Jean Francois Brun (Bordeaux/France)
Prof. Laura Cerutti (Milano/Italy)
Prof. Arthur Haas (New York/USA)
Prof. Pedro Iglesias-Picazo (Madrid/Spain)
Prof. Gabrielle Junod (Basel / Svizzerland)
Prof. Maria Angela Martinoli (Milano/Italy)
Prof. Junko Nishio (Tokyo/Japan)

Prof. Saori Makino (Yokohama/Japan)
Prof. David Stern (Jerusalem/Israel)
Prof. A. von Burg (Utrecht/Nederlands)
Prof. Christine Faron (Sydney/Australia)      

Productions with my instruments in every radiostation in Germany and in the most of Europe.
30 CD recordings with my instruments: the discography can be delivered on request.  
 

Problems depending on Change of Climate.

The Action, the Case and the Soundboard of a Harpsichord is Made from Wood.
Wood is Changing it´s Dimensions Depending on the Change of Temperature and Change of Humidity.

In My Workshop in Germany, depending on Summer- or Wintertime, the Range was 10-32 Celsius and 10-90 rel. Humidity. The Result is:
Cracking Soundboards when it´s too Dry; Sticking action, Soundboard goes Up or Down, when it´s too Humid.
In My Workshop in MANILA I have no Windows, no Aircon, and, over one year, I have measured: Temperature 24-30 Celsius, 65-88 rel. Humidity. In Tropical Countries the Air-Con is changing quickly the climate and is affecting the Tuning Stability.

My Instruments, Built in MANILA, are Perfectly Accomodated to the Climate of SouthEastAsia, Middle-America, Florida, North of Australia, Parts of India and, in opposite of the situation in Germany, I do not Expect any Problems Related to the Climate.

To avoid the corrosion of iron parts I use only strings of brass, bronce and tombak. All pins are gold-plated.

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