compared to a conventional spark gap! Anyway, I think this project is finally back on track. I'm surprised nobody has suggested the use of a relay before....
It's good that that's working. You may have to adjust the phasing to allow for the turn-on time of the relay. Listen for a very "solid" sound to the staccato sparks, and look for minimal branching of the sparks. Not sure if you'll be able to hear the sound properly over the relay noises. I did do some experiments with relays a-ways back but didn't have much luck. I think the reason no one suggested the relay is because they know that the SCR is quiet and stable in general. Not sure what problem you're having using the SCR.