French Harpsichord 1C Low8 Up8
The harpsichord is a predecessor to the piano and produces its sound by plucking strings with quills when the keys are pressed. The sounds of the strings are then acoustically amplified by the body of the instrument. The pitch of a set of strings is described in feet like the pipes of an organ. An 8 foot string set sounds one octave lower than a 4 foot. Released May 2010
A characteristic feature of a harpsichord is the sound of the quill that hits the string again when a key is released. Harpsichords do not respond to velocity and they are not equipped with a sustain pedal.
French harpsichords have light and responsive actions, warm richness, deep, sonorous basses, and clarity of tone that makes these instruments very appealing.
A typical french harpsichord has a range of five octaves, with an upper and a lower manual, three sets of strings, and a buff (lute) stop.