CBH Backpinning the 8´ bridge

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Carey Beebe backpinning the 8´ bridge.

The treble strings have sidebearing and downbearing, but the tenor and bass strings run straight across the bridge to their taller hitchpinrails. As a result, the bass strings must be backpinned to ensure good contact with the bridge.

The bridge is marked and drilled for the backpins after stringing. For the straight part of the bridge, the backpin can be located an index finger width from the bridgepin. All the pin locations are pricked with a tiny awl about 2mm down from the crown of the bridge. The strings are displaced so the holes can be safely drilled with a ø1mm bit in a Dremel tool. The brass pins are then inserted using a simple pushing tool and the strings positioned around their pins. Finally, the heads of the pins are dressed with a fine file.

The angles each string makes around its pins are quite gentle.

Photos of this instrument as work progresses can be found here: http://www.hpschd.nu/wip/53.html

Ruckers Double Harpsichord, Carey Beebe, Sydney 2010
commission for Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, Singapore.

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