P.O. Box 1163 Lemont, PA 16851 (814) 883-7799 damaple@comcast.net

I have made a number of different clavichord models over five decades. These listed here are among my favorites. I am also happy to discuss earlier instruments, both triple- and double-fretted, as well as other larger unfretted models. Please click on the images below for enlarged versions. 17th-century fretted clavichord This double-fretted clavichord is based on an anonymous instrument in the Musical Instrument Museum in Leipzig. The compass is C/E-c3, which was standard for most of the 17th century. The antique has the common C/E short octave configuration in the bass, with no split sharps. Due to the generous spacing of the strings on the bridge, however, is was a simple matter to add one course of strings and to rearrange the key levers so that split sharps could be added. This provides the low F# and G# that were increasingly required towards the end of the century. The soundboard and bridge are longer than usual for 17th-century instruments, and the bridge is also taller and more massive. As a result, the instrument has a more sonorous and sustaining sound, compared to some contemporary instruments that have a more rapid decay. The string scaling is short and appropriate for tuning to the common tone-high pitch known as Chorton in the late Baroque. Specification: C/E-c3, short octave, A-466. Case of varnished hardwood, or pine with a painted finish (as in the original). 114 x 33 cm (45 x 13 in). 18th-century fretted clavichord The compass of this anonymous double-fretted instrument from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York extends to e3, which probably dates it from the second quarter of the 18th century. It is still relatively small and easily portable, however. The instrument's sound also is similar to small, earlier instruments, with a sweet treble and a gentle, lute-like bass. The treble compass can be extended to f3if desired. With its chromatic bass to C, the instrument is capable of playing a wide range of pieces, subject to the restrictions of the fretting system. Specification: C-e3, chromatic, A-415. Case of varnished hardwood, or pine with a painted finish (as in the original). 114 x 36 cm (45 x 14 in). Unfretted clavichord after Specken Philip Jacob Specken apprenticed with the great organ and stringed-keyboard maker Gottfried Silbermann in Freiberg, Saxony, and then relocated to Stockholm in the 1730s. He was initially employed there by several other masters, but by 1737 he was signing instruments with his own name. In the 1740s he produced a series of clavichords that were similar in some aspects to the Saxon design used by Friederici and other later Silbermann apprentices. Both fretted and unfretted instruments were made in his shop, mostly with the range of C-d3; by around 1748 Specken sometimes extended the upper compass to include e3. Due to the relatively long length of the bridge in the bass, no over-wound strings are required. The sound of the bass is full, but noticeably distinct in timbre from that produced by over-wound strings. The tuning pins are set further to the right, compared to the Friederici and Horn instruments, and the long string segments between the bridge and tuning pins resonate freely with the main sounding lengths. The resultant overall sound has a nice singing quality, with good sustain. With its mid-century compass and lineage to Silbermann's clavichords, Specken's model is especially appropriate for the music of J. S. Bach, his sons, and their contemporaries. Specification: C-e3, chromatic, A-410. Case of varnished hardwood or painted pine. Ebony or plum naturals and bone-capped accidentals. Four screw-on legs are included in the base price. 151 x 46 cm (59 x 18 in). Unfretted clavichord, adapted from J. H. Silbermann Like Specken, Johann Heinrich Silbermann also studied for a time in the workshop of his uncle Gottfried. He later returned to his native Strasbourg to open his own shop, which produced clavichords, harpsichords, and fortepianos. Although there is one surviving larger clavichord attributed to Johann Heinrich that is more similar to the late Saxon instruments by makers such as Friederici and Horn, he is mostly associated with a group of clavichords that share a remarkably compact design. These instruments are undated, but thought to have been built around 1775. They are distinguished from typical late Saxon instruments by a case that is some 15 inches (38 cm) shorter, the absence of a toolbox to the left of the keyboard, and an S-shaped bridge that is abruptly curved in the bass. Initially, this compact design may seem to have little in common with the large contemporary Saxon instruments, but study reveals that there are still shared elements of a core Saxon scaling and layout present, presumably retained from Gottfried Silbermann's own instruments. As can be seen in the photo of a compact clavichord under construction, the soundboard area used by Johann Heinrich is roughly square and fairly limited in size, with its left edge perpendicular to the spine, similar to that of many clavichords from the 1st half of the century. These compact-design instruments have a bright, clear sound with a lively presence. Being so short, their bass strings have less power and a different timbre, compared to contemporary Saxon instruments. But the common use of over-wound strings in the second half of the century makes it possible for such short strings to work surprisingly well, producing a lighter style of bass – which might have been intended to be reminiscent of earlier clavichords. The clarity of sound and the responsive touch of this design make it a good, all-purpose instrument, well suited to a broad range of 18th-century music. While I am happy to reproduce the original compact Silbermann design, I am currently focusing on a slightly revised adaptation that enlarges the case by 4 inches (10 cm), in order to include a tool box (accompanied by cranked lower key levers), and to lengthen the bass end of the bridge somewhat with a more elegant curve. However, the treble and mid-range portions of the soundboard and keyboard faithfully follow the layout of the compact-model instruments. In my opinion, these modest changes improve the sound and touch of the very lowest notes below C without affecting the overall sound quality and excellent playing characteristics of the original design. Specification: FF-f 3, chromatic, A-415 (A-440 version is also possible). Case of walnut. Ebony naturals and bone-capped accidentals. Four screw-on, square-tapered legs are included in the base price. Other case woods, a paneled lid, a soundboard rose, and alternate leg styles are available as options. 148 x 49 cm (58 x 19 in).