Comments on: Henry Lim’s Lego Harpsichord. http://www.neatorama.com/2006/01/19/henry-lims-lego-harpsicord/ The Neat Side of the Web Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:05:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Nicholas Dollak http://www.neatorama.com/2006/01/19/henry-lims-lego-harpsicord/comment-page-1/#comment-939 Nicholas Dollak Sat, 21 Jan 2006 12:08:23 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2006/01/19/henry-lims-lego-harpsicord/#comment-939 Thanks, Alex! Now I got to read the article. Very informative and interesting to a musically-inclined techno-nut (and Lego fan) like me. I guess Lego bricks can impart enough integrity to the frame to maintain tension after all... Thanks, Alex! Now I got to read the article. Very informative and interesting to a musically-inclined techno-nut (and Lego fan) like me. I guess Lego bricks can impart enough integrity to the frame to maintain tension after all…

]]> By: Alex http://www.neatorama.com/2006/01/19/henry-lims-lego-harpsicord/comment-page-1/#comment-919 Alex Thu, 19 Jan 2006 17:44:36 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2006/01/19/henry-lims-lego-harpsicord/#comment-919 Thanks Nicholas Dollak - you're right about the link, it's fixed now. Also, I misspelled harpsichord - fixed too. The builder wanted to build a lego piano at first, but found out that the structure couldn't stand up to the tension. From the website: <em>"Originally, upon thinking about the potentials of making a LEGO musical instrument, I had hoped to reproduce a piano, but ditched the idea due to the enormous tension involved (40,000 lbs.)--there's a reason why pianos have steel frames. Its ancestor, the harpsichord, seemed more practically possible--the key/jack workings are simple levers, the strings are plucked, it's smaller, and it maintains less tension. Coincidentally, I was in my Bach phase anyways."</em> Thanks Nicholas Dollak – you’re right about the link, it’s fixed now. Also, I misspelled harpsichord – fixed too.

The builder wanted to build a lego piano at first, but found out that the structure couldn’t stand up to the tension. From the website:

“Originally, upon thinking about the potentials of making a LEGO musical instrument, I had hoped to reproduce a piano, but ditched the idea due to the enormous tension involved (40,000 lbs.)–there’s a reason why pianos have steel frames. Its ancestor, the harpsichord, seemed more practically possible–the key/jack workings are simple levers, the strings are plucked, it’s smaller, and it maintains less tension. Coincidentally, I was in my Bach phase anyways.”

]]> By: Fennec http://www.neatorama.com/2006/01/19/henry-lims-lego-harpsicord/comment-page-1/#comment-918 Fennec Thu, 19 Jan 2006 17:16:21 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2006/01/19/henry-lims-lego-harpsicord/#comment-918 Harpsichords just sound cool. :) Harpsichords just sound cool. :)

]]> By: Nicholas Dollak http://www.neatorama.com/2006/01/19/henry-lims-lego-harpsicord/comment-page-1/#comment-917 Nicholas Dollak Thu, 19 Jan 2006 12:53:16 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2006/01/19/henry-lims-lego-harpsicord/#comment-917 The link doesn't connect to anything regarding the harpsichord; you might wish to check on that. Looks cool, though! My Mom's a piano teacher and the mother of five, so she should get a kick out of this. I notice that the builder added two extra legs to support the middle, which, due to the nature of Lego, would otherwise sag under its own weight. I'm rather surprised that a Lego frame was sufficient to maintain string tension, though. Even a standard hardwood frame usually isn't enough to keep a harpsichord in tune longer than a few days at a time. The link doesn’t connect to anything regarding the harpsichord; you might wish to check on that. Looks cool, though! My Mom’s a piano teacher and the mother of five, so she should get a kick out of this. I notice that the builder added two extra legs to support the middle, which, due to the nature of Lego, would otherwise sag under its own weight. I’m rather surprised that a Lego frame was sufficient to maintain string tension, though. Even a standard hardwood frame usually isn’t enough to keep a harpsichord in tune longer than a few days at a time.

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