Introduction



So you want to build your own harpsichord! Sounds like a fun project – and it is. But before you sharpen your pencil and start making sawdust, there’s a few things you should consider. The fact that your best friend’s uncle, the one who can’t find his nose with his hand, built a harpsichord from a kit doesn’t mean anyone can do it. Knowing the exact position of your nose is not a reliable predictor of success. On the other hand, it can’t hurt. If you consider the construction process as a necessary roadblock on the road to harpsichord ownership, don’t even think about building one. If you know you won’t enjoy building the instrument as much as you will enjoy playing it – stop now!

For some first time builders, the prospect of saving a lot of money by doing the building themselves is their prime motivation. Will you save money by building instead of buying? Maybe. It depends on the value you place on your time. You will spend at least 1,000 hours on this project, maybe more – maybe a lot more! If you place a value of just $10 an hour on your time, you will be “spending” at least $10,000.00 in labor. Add to that the cost of materials, parts, etc. and you may well be able to purchase an instrument for less than your true cost.

Another problem that first time builders face is over estimating their woodworking skills – or not knowing or understanding the complexities involved in building an instrument. Harpsichord building is definitely not for the novice level woodworker. There are fine kits available that can be purchased with much of the difficult woodworking already done. For many, this is the way to go.

We’ve all heard stories, some of them true, of a craftsman producing beautiful instruments while working in an unheated shack with only a few hand tools. Unfortunately, there are very few people with this skill level. I’m not one of them, and you’re probably not either. You will need some basic machinery – a table saw, a band saw, a jointer, a planer, a lathe, a disk sander, a router and router table, a drill press and assorted hand tools. You will also need a worktable – a big one. You can function with a table 36” wide x 7’ long [914.4mm x 2133.6mm]. A little bigger, say 4’ x 8’ [1219.2mm x 2438.4mm] is even better.