Hi! Realy nice and soft sound! I would like to built a small instrument like this, but i don't know the correct length of srings and some mesurement of sound bord..ect. If possible please send me the plans of give advice for building,or add me to your msn. Thanks. My e-mail: blackdavee@msn.com I wait your response! Thx. (sorry, my english is poor)
I think that if you have not built an instrument before, then you would be best advised to buy a set of plans and follow them closely. Many organisations publish plans, including London's Royal College of Music and Edinburgh University's Friends of St Cecilias Hall. I expect there will be some Hungarian plans available too. This instrument was not built from a published plan. Best wishes.
Hi! Realy nice and soft sound! I would like to built a small instrument like this, but i don't know the correct length of srings and some mesurement of sound bord..ect. If possible please send me the plans of give advice for building. Thanks. My e-mail: blackdavee@msn.com I wait your response! Thx. (sorry, my english is poor)
Thanks - in fact I have indeed begun to up-grade it - I am going to make a keyboard with a narrower 3-octave span and a shorter compass, to take advantage of the best bits of the soundboard, and to avoid the big stretches which you inevitably get with these instruments. That will entail re-voicing - I agree, it is rather loud.
I have deleted your second comment, inadvertently - sorry - but two points:- nearly all these instruments are either C/E- c3 or C/E to f3, so mine is a hybrid - I plan to revert to C/E-c3. Secondly, Yes you can plank up your soundboard from narrower pieces ( ~4mm thick) but it is best to use Titebond glue available from Axminster (white glue is no good) and try to get the grain of the planks running in the same direction, otherwise the glued-up blank will be difficult to plane.
Thanks alot! Yes, true, it should be the grain of both pieces in parallel--for glue and for resonant purposes.
For the harp i got frustrated at the time and simply ordered a one piece 10mm maple plate which i thinned to 3mm (5mm) some places...so it became italian renaissance style(maple). If i do a little clavichord i'll use only two pieces glued, but i have to use your advise for glue because in effect after thinning the contact surface is just a very narrow band :D
Thank you - personally, I am not so pleased with either the video or the instrument. There is an opportunity to improve both, but I just have not had the time to devote to either. Best wishes.
The subject is the English spinet - part socio-cultural (ie the place of the spinet in C17th English musical culture), and part organological. I am getting to the nightmare stage now, trying to eliminate all errors and inconsistencies from a text of over 120,000 words! Regards,
Thanks Ernst - it looks better than it sounds and I need to do some work on it, but I am very pre-occupied at present with the submission of my PhD dissertation, which is imminent.
I can't get the YouTube 'reply' tab to work, but the answer is to look at the CIMCIM site hosted by Edinburgh University, which includes a long listed of published technical drawings, and to get a copy of the late John Barnes' book on making a spinet, through his son, Peter Barnes, who has a website. Making a spinet is slightly easier than making a virginal in my very limited experience.
Hi, I realy enjoy your videos, and wen I saw the making of a pentagonal virginal, it was very exiting for me, because I want to make a virginal or maybe a spinett just for me, and I wondered if you coud recomend some books or have the technical dawings of this virginal, I would preciate very very much... have a grate day!!!
Apoligise for my inglish and ortography, I try, I try
As I have said in my e-mail, you need to look at the CIMCIM website hosted by Edinburgh University and to get a copy of the late John Barnes' book on making a spinet from his son, Peter Barnes. I have failed to send the website links through YouTube but they come up quickly in Google
Thank you for a great performance on your virginal. This is similar to the instrument that I have, which was made by David Holmes in 1980. My instrument requires some work inclduing a major voicing and regulating, which I can't do because of my eyesight.
Thanks for your comment and for those which you made on my other videos. These pentagonal instruments are very difficult - I am not the only one who has had problems. Three fundmentals really - the bass key-levers are much too short for good playing control, the bass strings too long, and the whole instrument is so resonant it is 'full of noises' as Prospero said of his island! No wonder they were originally placed in an outer case. Regards.
Thanks! Of course most of these instruments were normally decorated with ivory, though the opriginal of this one has carved wooden arcades - if they are original, that is!
Well, yes, but because of the long scaling it would involve the use of steel rather than iron wire. As you may know, steel wire is a nightmare to handle, especially, as here, when the instrument has undrilled tuning pins.
The bass is in brass, the tenor in iron and the treble in steel - which is needed because of the very long scaling which I chose in order to get the low pitch. That is not historically correct, but since nobody knows what these instruments sounded like when they were new, may be producing the right sound. Who knows? Thanks for your interest.
Thanks, I am glad you like it - personally, I am not so satisfied with the instrument, as I say in my notes, but I am slowly improving it. What you are listening to is, of course, the instrument itself - sorry if I didn't make that clear.
My sincerest gratitude for posting this video of the pentagonal virginal. I love the beautiful tone of these Italian instruments...I hope you post a performance sometime.
Hi! Realy nice and soft sound! I would like to built a small instrument like this, but i don't know the correct length of srings and some mesurement of sound bord..ect. If possible please send me the plans of give advice for building,or add me to your msn. Thanks. My e-mail: blackdavee@msn.com I wait your response! Thx. (sorry, my english is poor)
Blackdaveeeee 1 year ago
@Blackdaveeeee
I think that if you have not built an instrument before, then you would be best advised to buy a set of plans and follow them closely. Many organisations publish plans, including London's Royal College of Music and Edinburgh University's Friends of St Cecilias Hall. I expect there will be some Hungarian plans available too. This instrument was not built from a published plan. Best wishes.
clementmatchett 1 year ago
Hi! Realy nice and soft sound! I would like to built a small instrument like this, but i don't know the correct length of srings and some mesurement of sound bord..ect. If possible please send me the plans of give advice for building. Thanks. My e-mail: blackdavee@msn.com I wait your response! Thx. (sorry, my english is poor)
Blackdaveeeee 1 year ago
Love the flutey mids. I always wanted a nice, big virginal. Have to settle for my cheaply made 5 foot.
jhonwask 2 years ago
Thanks. You could of course try making one yourself, in which case I would suggest buying a set of plans- which is what I ( deliberately) did not do!
clementmatchett 2 years ago
Sounds so much better than a harpsichord! Maybe some fiddling with the action strenght (to be more subtle), but sounds very full and rounded nicely!
8RR8R8 2 years ago
Thanks - in fact I have indeed begun to up-grade it - I am going to make a keyboard with a narrower 3-octave span and a shorter compass, to take advantage of the best bits of the soundboard, and to avoid the big stretches which you inevitably get with these instruments. That will entail re-voicing - I agree, it is rather loud.
clementmatchett 2 years ago
I have deleted your second comment, inadvertently - sorry - but two points:- nearly all these instruments are either C/E- c3 or C/E to f3, so mine is a hybrid - I plan to revert to C/E-c3. Secondly, Yes you can plank up your soundboard from narrower pieces ( ~4mm thick) but it is best to use Titebond glue available from Axminster (white glue is no good) and try to get the grain of the planks running in the same direction, otherwise the glued-up blank will be difficult to plane.
clementmatchett 2 years ago
Thanks alot! Yes, true, it should be the grain of both pieces in parallel--for glue and for resonant purposes.
For the harp i got frustrated at the time and simply ordered a one piece 10mm maple plate which i thinned to 3mm (5mm) some places...so it became italian renaissance style(maple). If i do a little clavichord i'll use only two pieces glued, but i have to use your advise for glue because in effect after thinning the contact surface is just a very narrow band :D
8RR8R8 2 years ago
Thank you - personally, I am not so pleased with either the video or the instrument. There is an opportunity to improve both, but I just have not had the time to devote to either. Best wishes.
clementmatchett 2 years ago
.
It's a lovely video, very nice music and the instrument really beautiful... I wish I could have one.... :-(
Polluxgeminae 2 years ago
The subject is the English spinet - part socio-cultural (ie the place of the spinet in C17th English musical culture), and part organological. I am getting to the nightmare stage now, trying to eliminate all errors and inconsistencies from a text of over 120,000 words! Regards,
Peter
clementmatchett 2 years ago
What a gorgeous instrument!!
ernststolz 2 years ago
Thanks Ernst - it looks better than it sounds and I need to do some work on it, but I am very pre-occupied at present with the submission of my PhD dissertation, which is imminent.
clementmatchett 2 years ago
I can imagine, good luck with it. May I ask what the subject is?
ernststolz 2 years ago
I can't get the YouTube 'reply' tab to work, but the answer is to look at the CIMCIM site hosted by Edinburgh University, which includes a long listed of published technical drawings, and to get a copy of the late John Barnes' book on making a spinet, through his son, Peter Barnes, who has a website. Making a spinet is slightly easier than making a virginal in my very limited experience.
clementmatchett 3 years ago
Hi, I realy enjoy your videos, and wen I saw the making of a pentagonal virginal, it was very exiting for me, because I want to make a virginal or maybe a spinett just for me, and I wondered if you coud recomend some books or have the technical dawings of this virginal, I would preciate very very much... have a grate day!!!
Apoligise for my inglish and ortography, I try, I try
SAINTSEINT 3 years ago
As I have said in my e-mail, you need to look at the CIMCIM website hosted by Edinburgh University and to get a copy of the late John Barnes' book on making a spinet from his son, Peter Barnes. I have failed to send the website links through YouTube but they come up quickly in Google
clementmatchett 3 years ago
Thank you for a great performance on your virginal. This is similar to the instrument that I have, which was made by David Holmes in 1980. My instrument requires some work inclduing a major voicing and regulating, which I can't do because of my eyesight.
Clavichordist 3 years ago
Thanks for your comment and for those which you made on my other videos. These pentagonal instruments are very difficult - I am not the only one who has had problems. Three fundmentals really - the bass key-levers are much too short for good playing control, the bass strings too long, and the whole instrument is so resonant it is 'full of noises' as Prospero said of his island! No wonder they were originally placed in an outer case. Regards.
clementmatchett 3 years ago
love the arcades! mb
marbeth13 3 years ago
Thanks! Of course most of these instruments were normally decorated with ivory, though the opriginal of this one has carved wooden arcades - if they are original, that is!
clementmatchett 3 years ago
If you don't like the pitch, couldn't you tune it up a bit? Say to 405? I think it sounds very nice, btw
rustydog1236 3 years ago
Well, yes, but because of the long scaling it would involve the use of steel rather than iron wire. As you may know, steel wire is a nightmare to handle, especially, as here, when the instrument has undrilled tuning pins.
Drill them then, you may say. Two nightmares!
Thanks for your interest
clementmatchett 3 years ago
Lovely sound and playing. Thanks for uploaidng
Babejuda 3 years ago
Glad you liked it - I have Version Two of this video in preparation, but other things are taking priority at present.
clementmatchett 3 years ago
I think your instrument sounds lovely. What are you stringing it in?
wolfgang7445 3 years ago
The bass is in brass, the tenor in iron and the treble in steel - which is needed because of the very long scaling which I chose in order to get the low pitch. That is not historically correct, but since nobody knows what these instruments sounded like when they were new, may be producing the right sound. Who knows? Thanks for your interest.
clementmatchett 3 years ago
Thanks, I am glad you like it - personally, I am not so satisfied with the instrument, as I say in my notes, but I am slowly improving it. What you are listening to is, of course, the instrument itself - sorry if I didn't make that clear.
clementmatchett 3 years ago
My sincerest gratitude for posting this video of the pentagonal virginal. I love the beautiful tone of these Italian instruments...I hope you post a performance sometime.
clavichord1685 3 years ago