Chapter 36 - Tools and Supplies ( Page 1 of 4)
Notes on The Instrument Workshop
As you will notice on the next three pages, our main parts supplier is the Instrument Workshop. For almost half a century this business provided
parts, guidance, knowledge, and encouragement to veteran and beginning builders alike. Unfortunately, its founder and owner, Lutz Bungart, passed away in
June of 2014, much to the chagrin of those of us who have come to rely on his expertise and friendship.
Since then, the Instrument Workshop has gone through some difficult trials and tribulations. As of this writing, March 2021, its doors are closed, either temporarily or
permanently. This is a huge blow to the harpsichord community, as builders in the U.S. and worldwide have to find alternate vendors for parts and supplies.
On the domestic scene we have
Hubbard Harpsichords, and
Zuckermann Harpsichords. For European and Asian builders, parts can be obtained through
Marc Vogel.
You will notice, on the following pages, that I have decided to keep the Instrument Workshop entries listed. Although you may not be able to order from them, each of
their listings contain a brief description of the part(s) in question. You will find these descriptions useful when ordering parts from other vendors. In the future,
should the Instrument Workshop re-open with the existing or new ownership, I will update their entries and make them available to you. To the best of my knowledge, all of the links for other suppliers are current and working.
Notes on Harpsichord Jacks
Harpsichord jacks are propriety - that is, their design is owned and controlled by the individual builder or supplier, whether they are made of plastic or wood. As there is no standardization of
dimensions from builder to builder, jacks are almost always not interchangeable. While the Harpsichord Project describes, and recommends, the use of plastic jacks made by the
Instrument Workshop, you are certainly not required to use them. Any plastic jack, and any wooden jack up to 1/2" in width will work. One word of caution:
You must have the jacks you choose to use in your possession before building your registers. Dimensions will vary, and the construction of registers is totally dependant on
the dimensions of the jacks you use.
While I've always believed, and still believe, that making wooden jacks is something that most novice builders should not attempt, market place circumstances have made it necessary for me to include
a chapter describing their construction in the Harpsichord Project. Before deciding to make your own jacks, please study this chapter carefully.