Technical Services

ne of the best outcomes of my building a french double manual harpsichord from a kit in the mid-seventies, was a complete de-mystification of the workings of the instrument. I found that I was pretty good at tuning and voicing (cutting the plectra), and quickly attained a level of confidence which enabled me to supplement my income with these skills. Through experience and decades of friendships with the three harpsichord builders in the Bay Area, I've expanded my working knowledge of most of the various instruments in the harpsichord family. I am forever grateful to Gary Blaise, Kevin Fryer and John Phillips for all they have taught me over the years.

It gives me great pleasure to transform a harpsichord's touch and sound, if I possibly can. As a player, I feel especially qualified to cut the plectra in a sensitive and subtle way, and to regulate the action appropriately. I do some of my technical services on-site, and larger jobs in my own studio. If I need to consult with any of the builders, they are extremely generous with phone advice. When possible, I enjoy working in the space where the instrument lives and meeting a variety of amateur and professional players who live here in the Bay Area.

I have the privilege of being the main person hired for harpsichord maintenance in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. I specialize in voicing and regulation, and am the tuner and harpsichord "doctor" for the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.