Does a harpsichord have 88 keys?

a cool?

Lol. Spell check is prejudiced against viols.

Does a harpsichord have 88 keys?

Depends.  Usually the keyboard itself is about 4 octave, but it depends on the style.  If you have two manuals then that's double the number of keys.

The bigger issue is how many strings per key/note.  A common style is "2 eights" i.e. two strings of the same length per key, and you can set the plectra to pluck either one or two at a time (and each eight has a slightly different sound as the jacks are a different distance from the end).  Sometimes there will be a "four foot" as well - a set of strings an octave higher.

When tuning you usually tune the first eight completely, then tune the second to the first, and the four foot to the first eight as well.

Some harpischords have a "short octave" at the bottom, i.e. an octave with some notes missing, or attached to "split keys", just to extend the range without extending the length.

Lol. Spell check is prejudiced against viols.

Ah.

Tuning a viol is harder than a harpsichord in some ways.  The strings are less stable (gut), and the frets present their own problems.

Once, when I was studying in Basel, my teacher, Jordi Savall, was pissed off because the consort I was in had spent too long tuning.  We did it on purpose because I'd suggested we play in sixth comma (well, spending a long time wasn't deliberate, but we wanted to get it right).  He was also pissed off because the other consorts weren't in tune (ours was).  I explained about the temperament I'd suggested.  He said he thought you should "just use your ear" (his of course is brilliant), and that temperaments weren't appropriate for viols.  I pled science (and a bit of math).  So he took a viol from another player, shoved all the frets up to the nut, handed it to me, and said "tune it".

Aarrgh.  A whole class watching, and not even my own viol.  Anyway, I did it, and set all the frets.  I handed it back to him and he played it.  And said "hmm.  OK.  Good".

So I sort of won.  But he still wanted us to be quicker, which is fair enough.

Lol. Spell check is prejudiced against viols.

Ah.

Tuning a viol is harder than a harpsichord in some ways.  The strings are less stable (gut), and the frets present their own problems.

Once, when I was studying in Basel, my teacher, Jordi Savall, was pissed off because the consort I was in had spent too long tuning.  We did it on purpose because I'd suggested we play in sixth comma (well, spending a long time wasn't deliberate, but we wanted to get it right).  He was also pissed off because the other consorts weren't in tune (ours was).  I explained about the temperament I'd suggested.  He said he thought you should "just use your ear" (his of course is brilliant), and that temperaments weren't appropriate for viols.  I pled science (and a bit of math).  So he took a viol from another player, shoved all the frets up to the nut, handed it to me, and said "tune it".

Aarrgh.  A whole class watching, and not even my own viol.  Anyway, I did it, and set all the frets.  I handed it back to him and he played it.  And said "hmm.  OK.  Good".

So I sort of won.  But he still wanted us to be quicker, which is fair enough.

viols have movable frets? I thought it was a violin basically. Hmm. You have rocked my world in this thread.

Yes.  Made of gut.  Lutes too. Gut frets are better for gut strings than metal frets, as they wear out faster than they wear out the strings, and it's cheaper to replace fretgut than string gut.

Although it's not cheaper for the kitties.