Hello Dave,

Although the springs seem like a natural idea they are actually going to cause 
problems in playing. The spring is going to wear your fingers out extremely 
quick. The only reason that a spring would be used is if the instrument were to 
lay flat on a table. Gravity keys have been used for centuries and are 
perfectly fuctional.  The only change in keys that I notice make a significant 
difference is to have slightly thicker keys, the weight allows them to fall a 
bit quicker. However, all you need to do is listen to a player like Patrick 
Bouffard to hear that the action of the gravity keys ia so quick that is 
supports really fast playing.
I have seen rubber bands stretched across all of the keys to assist in key 
return but they really are redundant addition that can be more problem than 
they are worth.

Also, if you place a thick bracing rib along the back, or what would be 
considered the spine of the bowl, it eliminates the need for the boat like 
bracing that you have on the sides of your bowl.

Scott

California Dave <[email protected]> wrote:

>Well, your question, or observation, answers a question of mine.  I had 
>mentioned that I had some new ideas.  The trapped compression spring key 
>return was one of them.  clearly this is not an entirely new idea.  I'm not 
>surprised.  As a musical instrument maker I have designed many ways of 
>doing things that subsequently I've discovered others using in part or 
>entirely whole!  This instrument is being made from whole cloth by me with 
>only photos, art and some early drawings of construction.  The idea of 
>using gravity to reset keys seemed limited.  So...I designed something 
>engineers have used for hundreds of years.  Anybody else have any insights 
>into this?  Is, or are there, known problems with this approach?
>
>
>Dave Bucher
>The Golden Wood Stringed Musical Instruments.
>
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