Zuckermann Jack Conversion Kit

Since the 1950's, when Zuckermann Harpsichords International began making its first instruments, we have repeatedly revised and refined the design of our harpsichord actions. Our older jacks tended to wear in the metal registers and, due to their design, did not move as quickly in the guides as they might have. In addition, the tongues of the earliest jacks required that the builder use glue to hold the plectrum securely which made the task of changing a plectrum extremely time consuming and over time led to the deformation of the tongue itself. To help the thousands of owners of our earlier instruments maintain and improve their harpsichords we offer action upgrades - or jack conversion kits. The parts we supply in these kits allow you to replace the existing jacks and jack guides and to add a choir of strings to single-choir instruments using the same components included with our current kits and finished instruments.

The jacks we now use retain the simplicity of the integral tongue and spring. No adjustment screws are needed - none were used in the great age of harpsichords, after all - you simply cut the jacks and quills to length and then leave them alone. These jacks are nearly identical in weight to the pear and holly jacks of the eighteenth century and work just as well. We supply celcon "quills" that give the sound and feel most musicians prefer. The new lower guides and registers are milled of beechwood, reducing friction to a minimum and creating the proper (and essential) jack action - a highly responsive action which allows you to play ornaments with ease. All of the necessary accessories are included with complete instructions, enabling the builder to achieve an action that approaches the lightness, quiet-reliability and expressiveness of classical harpsichords from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.