Clavinet D6 Restoration

[mvanmanen]

I was going to post these pictures after I had finished but am not sure when I am going to get around to finding some new felt to go between the lid and keys. I still have the red felt but was thinking about using grey, black, or maybe green?
Anyways, I bought this clavinet as a local purchase. At some point, the back corner had been badly damaged such that it was no longer stable. I took the whole thing apart, repaired the case, cleaned everything, trouble shooted the electronics, and put it back together. I do not have any fancy equipment nor extensive experience (i.e. this was my first time tolexing). I put on new laminate and really like the grey stain.
The plan was that this clavinet was going to be my "beater" for gigs but am not so sure now.

Special thanks to Ken Rich Sound Services for fantastic advice and help sourcing parts!!!!

[mvanmanen]

More pics

[Peter Hayes]

Beautiful. Another Clavinet brought back to life. I do have the red felt for the lid if you need some.

[vanceinatlance]

Your D6 looks very nice, great job! The grey gives it a really cool and different look.

[mvanmanen]

Thanks guys. I enjoyed this process so much that I could not help but bring this home today...
The tines and pick-ups are in fantastic shape but the action is going to need some work 

[Student Rhodes]

Interesting controls setup on the Rhodes.
Is that volume and tone for a split keyboard?

[mvanmanen]

Interesting controls setup on the Rhodes.
Is that volume and tone for a split keyboard?

Exactly. I put some pictures of the inside here (http://ep-forum.com/smf/index.php?topic=7683.0).

[guizmo]

Hello,

I need an advice about the fixation system of my clavinet's keybed. Take a look at my picture, there is nothing at the upper left side to fix the keyed ? is it normal ? If not, what kind of thing do I have to put on the hole ?

Thanks

[guizmo]

Hello,

I've got a "problem" on my D6, I have a pop when the hammer leaves the string (you can hear the sample in the attachement).

I've got new hammer tips, I washed the rail, anvil and strings with acetone, then soap and then water and I dried it... I think the "pop" is less loud than at the beginning but still there. It only appears in high notes, and I think it's a normal thing because of the tension of the string, but I want you to give your opinion.

Thanks

[Ben Bove]

If I remember correctly it's just a basic screw into the wood there - there's no post like the other mounting points.

[guizmo]

Ok, so that's not the same system as the 3 others fixations. Now I have to find the good screw...

What do you think about my sample?
I made an A/B comparison with my clav and the scarbee clavinet samples, the 2 are very close, and on scarbee samples the clic volume can be controlled. When I put the knob to the maximum I can hear the same pop, so that's why I'm thinking that is normal... What do you think about that ?

Thanks !

G

[mvanmanen]

I think at least a little bit of a pop is pretty normal, and is usually more noticeable depending on whether you have the Brilliant/Treble switches engaged and the brightness of your amplifier. Cleaning helps. New hard hammer tips helps. New strings helps...but I still regret replacing my strings a little

You could also adjust the height of the keybed/hammer assembly relative to the strings as it often becomes more noticeable when the tips are pushed really hard into the anvils to the point that the tips grab the strings. This happens more on the treble notes because the strings are thinner and more easily dig into the hammer tips.

I will double check the screw question when I get home tonight. From my recollection the side pieces are held down by one block knob each (similar to the knobs used to attach the faceplate). I do not recall the hardware used to collect the key assembly except that it was not block knobs and instead funny looking nuts. Then again, maybe one of the nuts was a screw.

hope this helps,

Michael

[Ben Bove]

Michael - I think you're spot on with the height adjustment... I sort of remember a while ago working on a clav I had and when the key assembly was moved around / slightly raised or lowered (I forget), I seem to remember some plucking coming in and out.

[guizmo]

Thanks guys for your answer. I'm gonna try to raise the key level. Now it's very short but I really like it, for a rhythmic play it's perfect!

I think too this pop is normal (comparing it to scarbee's samples), but I saw many posts on the web talking about that, and it's always difficult to determine the problem without hearing. Some people talks about a pop higher than the note itself, and it's really not my case!

I'm gonna change 2 or 3 very high strings because they have a little lack of sustain and I will verify if the pop is quieter.

Where are agree that a lack of sustain is due to an old string ?

Thanks

[mvanmanen]

Verified. It is a screw in your red circle.

Sustain could be the string or sometimes the hammer tip hitting the string at funny angle.

[guizmo]

Perfect ! So it's a normal screw or one like mute panel or faceplate ?

For the sustain problem, the hammer tips are brand new, the angle and the hit position is perfect and the string is a little bit oxidized... So I think it's the string..

Thanks a lot

[guizmo]

Hello guys,

I need the "black line" near the music stand hole (see the attachment).
Do you know where I can find it? What is the material of this thing?

Thanks

[guizmo]

No idea?

[mvanmanen]

The screw on the inside is a normal screw on one of my clavinets.

The black strip is made of some kind of flexible metal.
It has a thin edge that fits in and a thicker rounder edge which protrudes.
I have no idea where to find a replacement.

Sorry

[guizmo]

Thanks a lot for your answer !

[Alan Lenhoff]

>>New strings helps...but I still regret replacing my strings a little >>

Just bought a Clav D6 with original strings, and I have been told that I should probably replace the strings.

Michael, can you share details about why you may regret replacing yours? 

Thanks,

Alan

[mvanmanen]

My first clavinet was in pretty rough shape.
Replacing the hammer tips definitely made the biggest improvement in sound.
I replaced the strings about a week later.
The new strings were very bright.
And although this has improved somewhat with time, I still find the strings on the bright side.

So, I am currently using the Ken Rich strings on one clavinet and vintage, original strings on another.
I have tried the clavinet.com strings but prefer the Ken Rich ones as they sound more "alive" if that makes sense.
Part of me is still debating trying the ClaviGel product with vintage vibe strings for comparison but have been spending more time playing than repairing these days.

Hope that makes sense.

[guizmo]

Do you have the same or different preamp versions on your 2 D6 ?
Because I know that it exists 2 versions, one with the preamp fixed on the switches wood piece and another with the preamp fixed on the case...

I ask that because it's impossible to date a clavinet D6, but we know that the D6 was manufactured between 1971 and 1977, and it exists 2 versions. So, do you know which is the earlier version and what is the transition date?

It would interesting to date approximately our d6...

Thanks

[guizmo]

Could someone tell me what is the original color of clavinet leg flanges?
Is it raw aluminum or aluminum painted in black?

Thanks

[guizmo]

Hello guys,

I noticed that when I put a bit of silicone lubrificant with a Q-tip on the hammer tips the pop disappear when the key releases, it's very efficient.

But, do you know if it could exist an incompatibility with hammer tip material and the silicone lubrificant spray?

Thanks, G

[Student Rhodes]

Could someone tell me what is the original color of clavinet leg flanges?
Is it raw aluminum or aluminum painted in black?

Mine are unpainted, but the oxidation make me suspect they're stamped steel.

[guizmo]

Thanks a lot ! So original leg flanges are unpainted.

[guizmo]

Nobody knows what is the early and the later preamp version? Fixed on the switches panel or on the clavinet case?

Thanks

[Max Brink]

Nobody knows what is the early and the later preamp version? Fixed on the switches panel or on the clavinet case?

Thanks

The earlier preamplifier is going to be mounted to the base of the Clavinet and the latter is going to be mounted to the back side of the switches. There was a slightly different body to the Beyer transformer in early to later models but the change happened before the change in the mounting scheme as far as I can tell.

Another distinguishing characteristic of very early D6 Clavinets is that they will have black upper pickups used in the Clavinet C. I'm not sure what dates these changes correspond to but the first change should be the upper pickup, then the transformer, then shortly after the transformer the preamplifier mounting change.


As for the screw or the hole that you were questioning earlier in this thread the answer is that you need an M4 x .7 threaded insert for wood.

[guizmo]

Thanks Max!

I take note for the wood insert!

So I have a late version of the D6.
Your possible chronology is very interesting (I thought that the unique change was the preamp position), and would be very interesting to evaluate the age of a clavinet.

Thanks!