2014-06-01 – octave virginal finished

My latest instrument is a copy of a 4′-virginal of an instrument from the Musikinstrumenten-Museum in Berlin.

The instrument builder wanted to make the instrument as small as possible and made a box where the soundboard is divided into three sections. The middle- and treble register were made as for a normal virginal or harpsichord. The bass register is using a vertical soundboard, facing the player, and the tenor register uses a vertical soundboard at the rear.

The case has been assembled and the soundboards with their broken bridges are in place. Bridge pins and strings are still missing.

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Finally the work with the veneer puzzle is in progress. The pattern will cover lid and sides.

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Finally! The instrument is finished. I have used shellack for the case, the profiles have been guilded with gold leaf and the panels have got their silk. There is quite a distinct difference in sound between the sound boards and the instrument is really fun to play. Sound clip will come …

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