Harpsichords Blog

New English Harpsichord update.

February 10, 2016
We are on the home straight now of such an enjoyable project - it is a treat to make a harpsichord from scratch after many years of repairs!
I'm working on the keyboard in the workshop and Jenny is preparing to paint the soundboard in the style of the 1725 Coston. This is of course a liberty since the harpsichord is modelled on the Barton of 1709 and the Keene and Brackley spinet of 1713. The only excuse is that there is a soundboard painting on a 1710 Tisseran harpsichord which may ave been painted by the same person as painted the Coston in 1725.
What a little jem this instrument will be.

Posted by Peter Barnes. Posted In : New build 

 

Red Harpsichord sold to Red Priest Harpsichordist....

November 20, 2015
David gave me a ring this morning to ask 'Have I got some legs, because my friend is looking for some?', resisting the temptation to point out that she may find mine a little short, we organised a visit and he has just left with two sets of legs, a stool, and a red harpsichord!
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Posted by Peter Barnes. Posted In : Second-hand 

 

Greenwich 2015 Exhibition recap.

November 15, 2015
It was great meeting so many good friends at Greenwich, and many thanks to harpsichordist Alexandra Kremakova who helped me on my Early Music Shop Keyboard Instruments stand. For the lazy tuners among you we were offering the Roland C30 Digital Harpsichord for £2495 and this prompted me to make 'LESS THAN £2500' signs for many other instruments - a harpsichord, which I could have sold three times (more available on my website), four spinets and a polygonal virginal. There were Bizzi harpsic...
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Posted by Peter Barnes. Posted In : Greenwich 

 

New instruments and no more harpsichord repairs....

November 6, 2015

In 2016, I am planning a change of direction, from repairs to the making of new instruments. Once the second-hand instruments listed on my home page have sold there will be very few coming in to take their place.... so please buy now to avoid disappointment!

I am currently working on a new English Harpsichord, strung in iron, with a beautiful soundboard painting in the style of Coston by Jennifer Douglas. It will be finished by Easter 2016, and after this there will be more new instruments ...


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Posted by Peter Barnes. Posted In : working on... 

 

Greenwich Festival 12th to 14th November 2015.

October 27, 2015
Come and join me in the Painted Hall of the Royal Navel College, where I'll be selling harpsichords in conjunction with The Early Music Shop. On my stand I'll have two harpsichords and two spinets from my showroom in Somerset (quite a car full!) CDs and a book by Colin Booth, used instruments from Yorkshire, new Bizzi harpsichords, and even the latest Rowland electronic harpsichord, which transposes, plays in all sorts of temperaments and never goes out of tune!
There are special exhibition di...
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Posted by Peter Barnes. Posted In : Greenwich 

 

Raising a virginal bridge.

September 22, 2015
This is the first, and may be the last time that I've worked on a purple virginal!
Over time the soundboard on this virginal had bowed and the bridges had sunk to such an extent that the tenor strings buzzes against the soundboard when plucked. Attempts to raise the strings off the soundboard by fitting 'happynes posts' under the bridge resulted in raising the area of soundboard that was touching the bass and tenor strings so the 3-4mm of clearance needed between the strings and soundboard wa...
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Posted by Peter Barnes. Posted In : Soundboard repairs 

 

This, or a new Soundboard.

August 10, 2015
Here is the modification which I have made to pull down the cut-off bar of a Zuckerman Flemish harpsichord which I have for sale. It had been kept in damp conditions in Devon, causing the timber to expand, the pitch to rise, the tension to increase and the soundboard to rise up and touch the strings.
Let this be a lesson to all harpsichord owners - one summer in a damp place can seriously damage your instrument!
The aim or the repair is to minimise the damping effect of pulling down the soundb...
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Posted by Peter Barnes. Posted In : working on... 

 

New look for the website.

July 27, 2015
I hope you like the new, uncluttered look. I've taken away all the brightly coloured boxes and replaced them with a simple outline and tried to make the layout the same for each instrument. Having looked at other website providers I still think Yola is fantastic and I'd recommend them to everyone. 
Just to cheer you up, here is a photo of me sailing last week in the boat I've restored. I went on a 'Day Skipper' course and this is a passage from Lymington to the Isle of White. Everyone needs a ...
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Posted by Peter Barnes. Posted In : working on... 

 

Re-voicing, re-stringing, re-voicing...

April 17, 2015
Between the odd bit of sailing,( details on www.sailpb.com ), I've been revoicing and restringing a number of 1970's instruments, the latest, a Mark Stevenson Virginal, has turned into a surprisingly good sounding instrument. Based on an English virginal, the plucking points are closer to the end of the strings than is typical for Italian instruments and, now that it has lighter strings, the sound is charming and the repetition fast. Lucky Francis Knights!
The one before this, an English Spine...
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Posted by Peter Barnes. Posted In : working on... 

 

Goodbye Chris Hogwood instruments!

March 11, 2015
The world and their dog are going to Gardiner Houlgate tomorrow morning (12th March) and bidding for 27 lovely instruments. Join the party, meet everyone who is anyone in harpsichords, and help me make sure that nothing goes for less than it should. Prices for 18th century keyboards have been at an all time low but I think they are about to start rising fast!


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Posted by Peter Barnes. Posted In : Antique Keyboard Instruments 

 
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About Me


Harpsichord Maker, restorer, repairer and vendor.