Regulation & Restoration
About Regulation
Regulation at your location
I come to you — whether at concert halls, studios, or your home. With my mobile toolkit I optimise your harpsichord on site, so you can soon return to playing a perfectly regulated and voiced instrument. Only a harpsichordist who feels comfortable with their instrument in every respect has all the possibilities for sound and precision.
Why professional regulation?
A harpsichord is only as good as its constitution and regulation. A harpsichord changes over time — so it makes sense to address these changes, ensuring the instrument always performs at its peak and the player has unhindered possibilities.
30 years of regulation expertise
All of this and more are factors I have gathered from my many years of experience and close contact with outstanding harpsichordists, which I incorporate into my regulation work. I offer all kinds of regulation services — whether on my own instruments or on those built by others.
Getting the most out of your instrument
When revising harpsichords I repeatedly find quill widths as sharp as a pencil point — these quills produce a sharp, superficially silvery sound that corresponded to the ideal of the 1960s–80s. Harpsichords with little bass resonance could achieve a much rounder sound with wider and longer quills. Quills that are too short (e.g. less than 4 mm for the 8ʹ) also sound poor, feel hard under the finger, and repeat unreliably.
Every unnecessary noise inhibits the sound
All of these issues produce excess noise while mobilising little sound from the instrument — every unnecessary noise inhibits the free sound. Further important factors are the damping, the stagger of the registers, and the key dip — they ultimately determine whether a harpsichord feels heavy or light to play.
Regulation at your location
I come to you — whether at your concert hall, studio, or home. With my mobile toolkit I regulate your harpsichord on site, so you can return to playing an optimally set-up instrument as quickly as possible.
Request regulationAbout Restoration
Restoration of historical harpsichords
Historical harpsichords deserve to be treated with respect and expertise. I restore original instruments and older replicas with the goal of recovering their original tonal character — carefully, knowledgeably, and always in dialogue with the instrument.
My approach: preserving the original
Every restoration centres on the original. I work exclusively with historically correct materials and techniques to protect the substance of the instrument. Every intervention is carefully weighed — only what serves the sound and playability is carried out. The goal is to bring the instrument to a state as close as possible to its original essence.
What I restore
Whether soundboard cracks, worn action, missing parts, or outdated modifications — I carefully bring your instrument back into shape. From refurbishing individual components to the complete restoration of a historical original, I oversee the entire process. I also gladly undertake thorough overhauls of older replicas that no longer live up to their potential.
A transparent process
Before every restoration I prepare a detailed assessment and plan of action, which I discuss with you. You know at all times which steps are planned and why. This builds trust — and in the end, an instrument that sounds the way it was meant to.
A transparent process
Historical harpsichords deserve to be treated with respect and expertise. I restore original instruments and older replicas with the goal of recovering their original tonal character — carefully, knowledgeably, and always in dialogue with the instrument.
Discuss restoration
Whether concert request, harpsichord rental, or interest in the craft