Welcome to the Harpsichord Project Blog

It's been a few months since the Harpsichord Project E-Book went on sale. By now, I'm sure many of you are well into your build. I hope things are going smoothly and you are enjoying the construction process. You have no doubt realized that the Harpsichord Project E-Book, in spite of its 900 pages, is, in some ways, an incomplete documentation of the building process. To be sure, if you follow the methods described in its pages, the result will be a fine instrument - one you will be proud to own and play. However, harpsichord building is not a "my way or the highway" pursuit. As it was written for an anonymous person - one whose skills, experience, and motivation I had no way of knowing, the methods described in the book were developed to insure success for the greatest number of potential builders. This doesn't mean that "my way" is the only way, or even the best way, to get something done. For example, when building the case, many builders leave the case bottom off until the instrument is strung and playing - and they have valid reasons for doing so. I have you start with the bottom and add the case sides on top of it because it's easier for the first time builder to do it that way. Which method is correct? They both are. Which method you use depends on your skills, experience, and preferred methods of working.

So now we come to the purpose of this blog. If you can learn through your experiences, can you not also learn from the experiences of others? Actually, that's exactly what you're doing by using the Harpsichord Project E-Book as a guide - you're learning from my experience. Why not ask your question(s) here on our Forum Page and let everyone contribute and benefit from the answers given. After all, if you have a question, the chances are pretty good that someone else has the same question and would benefit from the responses. So join our extended family and let the wood chips fly!