D R A W I N G S

made by Grant O'Brien

 

Stringing the 'French' Ruckers aligned double-manual harpsichord

 

The 8' stringing - string diameters and materials

 

        Using the same tensions (in kg. wt. in the table below) for each note as used in a number of instruments by Taskin, string diameters were calculated for this instrument.  The frequencies were calculated based on a pitch a1 = 415.3Hz.  The physical density factor ρπ/g is calculated using the density ρ measured using historical materials.  The ideal diameter for each string was calculated was calculated using the usual Taylor equation.  Stringing material is not available in a continuum of sizes, however, so the diameters given under 'French Gauge' are those that I have determined for the French string gauge system.  The transition between the gauge diameters has been chosen here to occur where the average of the two adjacent string gauge diameters is between the calculated 'Ideal Diameters'.

            The eventual string lengths on an instrument built according to the drawing provided may not be exactly those used in the string calculations below.  Individual makers may therefore want to plot and calculate their own transitions scalings using the graph and spreadsheet provided using the string lengths which actually result from the construction of the instrument after the soundboard, bridges and nuts have finally been installed.

 

  Frequency Length   Tension Ideal  
Note in Hz. in mm ρπ/g kg. wt. Diameter French Gauge
d 1108.7 164.0 2463 3.00 0.192 0.187 10
c#3 1046.5 172.0 2463 3.07 0.196 0.187 10
c3 987.8 181.0 2463 3.14 0.200 0.210 9
b2 932.3 192.0 2463 3.21 0.202 0.210 9
bI2 880.0 204.0 2463 3.28 0.203 0.210 9
a2 830.6 216.0 2463 3.36 0.206 0.210 9
g#2 784.0 229.0 2463 3.44 0.208 0.210 9
g2 740.0 242.0 2463 3.51 0.211 0.210 9
f#2 698.5 257.0 2463 3.58 0.212 0.210 9
f2 659.3 272.0 2463 3.67 0.215 0.210 9
e2 622.3 288.0 2463 3.75 0.218 0.210 9
eI2 587.3 305.0 2463 3.83 0.220 0.210 9
d2 554.4 323.0 2463 3.92 0.223 0.210 9
c#2 523.3 342.0 2463 4.00 0.225 0.237 8
c2 493.9 362.0 2463 4.08 0.228 0.237 8
b1 466.2 383.5 2463 4.17 0.230 0.237 8
bI1 440.0 406.5 2463 4.26 0.233 0.237 8
a1 415.3 430.5 2463 4.35 0.235 0.237 8
g#1 392.0 455.0 2463 4.45 0.238 0.237 8
g1 370.0 480.5 2463 4.55 0.242 0.237 8
f#1 349.2 507.5 2463 4.64 0.245 0.237 8
f1 329.6 534.5 2463 4.74 0.249 0.237 8
e1 311.1 563.5 2463 4.83 0.253 0.266 7
eI1 293.7 593.0 2463 4.93 0.257 0.266 7
d1 277.2 623.0 2463 5.03 0.262 0.266 7
c#1 261.6 658.0 2463 5.13 0.265 0.266 7
c1 246.9 689.0 2463 5.23 0.271 0.266 7
b 233.1 723.0 2463 5.33 0.276 0.266 7
bI 220.0 756.0 2463 5.44 0.283 0.299 6
a 207.7 792.0 2463 5.56 0.289 0.299 6
g# 196.0 828.0 2463 5.68 0.296 0.299 6
g 185.0 866.0 2463 5.80 0.303 0.299 6
f# 174.6 906.0 2463 5.90 0.309 0.299 6
f 164.8 946.0 2463 6.01 0.317 0.299 6
e 155.6 987.0 2463 6.14 0.325 0.337 5
eI 146.8 1031.0 2463 6.26 0.333 0.337 5
d 138.6 1073.0 2463 6.38 0.342 0.337 5
c# 130.8 1126.0 2463 6.50 0.349 0.337 5
c 123.5 1161.0 2639 6.62 0.349 0.337 5
B 116.5 1205.5 2639 6.75 0.360 0.378 4
BI 110.0 1249.5 2639 6.87 0.371 0.378 4
A 103.8 1292.0 2639 6.99 0.384 0.378 4
G# 98.00 1335.0 2639 7.09 0.396 0.378 4
G 92.50 1375.0 2639 7.18 0.410 0.426 3
F# 87.31 1415.0 2639 7.26 0.425 0.426 3
F 82.41 1454.5 2639 7.33 0.440 0.426 3
E 77.78 1493.0 2639 7.38 0.455 0.426 3
EI 73.42 1530.5 2639 7.43 0.472 0.479 2
D 69.30 1564.0 2639 7.47 0.491 0.479 2
C# 65.41 1596.0 2780 7.49 0.497 0.479 2
C 61.74 1626.0 2780 7.50 0.517 0.538 1
B1 58.27 1652.0 2780 7.50 0.540 0.538 1
BI1 55.00 1672.0 2780 7.48 0.564 0.538 1
A1 51.91 1689.5 2780 7.45 0.590 0.605 0
G#1 49.00 1702.5 2780 7.39 0.618 0.605 0
G1 46.25 1712.5 2780 7.34 0.649 0.680 00

 

Code:

Iron Stringing
Yellow brass stringing
Red brass stringing

 

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