Frequently Asked Questions

maintenance

considerations

50%

q. Where should I keep my harpsichord?
a.Keep your instrument where you will use it but out of the flow of traffic. Be proud of it. It is not a coffee table. q. How come my harpsichord went out of tune?
a.Harpsichords are sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity. Wild changes in the weather will affect the relative humidity. If your instrument is kept at a constant humidity and temperature, it will almost never go out of tune. q. What are my considerations regarding temperature and humidity?
a.Try to air condition in the summer to get rid of the excess moisture, even on cool days when there is a lot of rain. Run the machine 1/2 an hour or so and then keep the windows shut. In the winter time keep the room on the cool side. A hot room will have a very low relative humidity and lead to the wood drying out. q. How long should an organ/harpsichord be in it's performance space prior to playing?
a. A harpsichord adjusts rather quickly unless conditions are extreme. The lights of the stage may do more to change the pitch than the change of environment. An organ, on the other hand, is very sensitive to temperature, and it takes a long time for the interior of the pipes to adjust to a new temperature. The wind does not blow through them. They are resonating chambers and need several hours to come to pitch for absolute stability. Even then factors such as the lights and the audience will change the room temperature. Organ pitch rises with warmth; harpsichord pitch drops as the strings relax in the heat.

q. What information do I need to provide regarding the rental of an instrument?
a.
1)The dates and times of the rehearsals and performance(s).
2) The location.
3) The person responsible for the bill.
4) Tuning requirements, including pitch and temperament.
5) Possible times for delivery. If there are steps or small evevators, this must be accounted for.
6) Providing the repertoire to be performed helps in choosing the proper instrument for the particular event.

q. Is tuning included in the rental fee?
a. Instruments are sent out either with a tuning before they go or a quick check on the premises. This varies. They are, however, supplied in good playing condition, usually satisfactory for immediate use. If it is to be used later in the day, then extra tuning may be required.

cartage

the instruments

q. Is cartage included in the rental fee?
a. No. Cartage can be easily arranged for anywhere in the New York metropolitan area. It can also be arranged outside the area for tours and run-outs q. Do you move other people's instruments?
a.Cartage is a service provided exclusively for our clients.
q. Can I provide my own cartage if I rent from Baroque Keyboards?
a. Clients are permitted to move many of the instruments but not all. Check with us.

q. What is the difference between a double and a single manual harpsichord?
a. Two keyboards allow for quick changes in dynamic and color. Also, the larger instruments are typically double manual instruments, and the smaller ones are usually singles. The doubles have 3 stops - 8'8'4' and the singles usually are double strung with 8'8'. q.What are the differences between the organs?
a. The Klop instruments tend to be pretty similar. One has a treble 1 1/3, another has a treble 2 2/3. The touch of one is a little lighter than the other. The Wissinger is a little larger, allowing for a little larger scaling in the pipes, especially the 8'. The resulting sound is a more clearly defined fundamental in the bass. Also, the tutti of the Wissinger tends to blend better than the Klop instruments. q. How many pitches will an organ transpose to?
a. Aside from modern pitch of A=440 to 442, all the organs can be tuned to A=415, 430, and 460.. Only the Wissinger can be tuned to A=392. The temperament can be adjusted quite widely, including 1/4 comma meantone.