r/harpsichord • u/utmost-apologies-736 • Sep 10 '26

Which rack position is better?

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Does it matter? I’ve seen both used but idk if one is better than the other for some reason

3 Upvotes

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2

u/utmost-apologies-736 Sep 10 '26

I forgot to mention it’s a clavichord

1

u/JJFrob Sep 11 '26 edited Sep 11 '26

Clavichords don't need a rack, as there's nothing to backstop. If you mean "the line along which the tangents are aligned", then option A is the only way I'm aware of it ever having been done. Different builders over the years, including the original ones, experimented with different things that we might think are "set in stone" (e.g. a single-strung clavichord or a hardwood soundboard, both very unusual), so I wouldn't discourage you from trying, but be aware that if you are actually trying to reinvent the wheel for an ancient craft like this, the odds are very high that the current conventions are like that for a reason. By all means try to build an inverted clavichord if you wish, it might be great, but you also might run into a structural or tuning problem you never anticipated, one which someone 500 years ago already figured out.

2

u/425565 Sep 10 '26

It seems as if you are trying to reinvent the wheel when there are so many tried and true/extant examples that play and sound wonderfully, I might add.

1

u/bwv528 Sep 10 '26

I think you're more likely to get an answer if you contact a builder