Keyed in

If the soundboard is the heart of the harpsichord, the keyboard is the brain, sending commands to all the other parts of the instrument. 112 keys on a double-manual instrument, and it's the builder's job to fuss over each one as if it were a Fabergé egg. Each one must be shaped, positioned, and polished until they all line up with perfect balance and alignment.



I attached the bone sharps to the sharp keys of the upper manual, using a straight edge to keep them even. After attaching the bone pieces, the sharp keys are front-heavy, so I cut away some of the wood on the bottom of the key, like so:



The keyboard preparation phase will be going on for the next few weeks, and then I'll turn my mind to decoration.