I've just bought an Italian harpsichord which has been superbly made from a Zuckermann kit in about 1976. I made my first harpsichord from the same type of kit in 1973 and have a soft spot for these little instruments. The kits were made by Wallis Zuckermann when he retired to Devon and needed something to do. 
  It is said that one summer in a garden shed will finish off any harpsichord. It is particularly true of these instruments because they were made from ply wood in order to keep down costs. The kit cost £150 in 1975. Half the grain of a piece of plywood is almost always in the wrong direction to give structural strength so a damp environment combined with the tension of the strings can cause the bottom to curve like a soap dish, the soundboard to touch the strings and the wrestplank to twist. It is great to find one of these instruments where there is no warping what so ever! A second, careful owner is required to keep up the good work!