French & Flemish Instruments
These are thick cased instruments, larger and heavier than the typical Italian harpsichord. They are based on the tradition of the Ruckers and Couchet workshops on 17th c. Antwerp and the 18th c. Parisian workshops of Blanchet and Taskin. They have a larger, brighter sound that sings rather than speaks as the Italian instruments do. My instruments reproduce the individual details and decoration of the antiques.
Flemish Single Manual HarpsichordThis is a small four-octave instrument based on the Couchet in the Smithsonian. It is typical of the Ruckers instruments but has a full four octaves instead of their short octave C/E-c keyboard. I offer it as a C-d’’’ model without transposer or a C-c’’’ with transposer. It is 76” x 30” and comes with a painted exterior and papered interior. It is available with a (2x8’) disposition or a (1x8’, 1x4’) disposition. An additional row of jacks to pluck the 8’ choir closer to the end of the string, as in the antique, is also available. A bone covered keyboard is standard and painted soundboard, fancy stand, and marbled exterior are optional. Price with two stops, $18,000; with three stops, $18,500. |
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Eighteenth Century Flemish Single Manual HarpsichordBased on the instruments of Delin, this instrument is 85” x 35”and (2x8’) with a range of GG-e’’’ with a transposing ebony covered keyboard. This makes it a nice sized instrument. It is decorated with gold bands on a painted case. Price: $19,000. |
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French Bentside SpinetThis is a small, wing-shaped single manual spinet (1x8’) with a five octave, FF-f’’’ (except FF#) ebony covered keyboard with light colored sharps. It is 70” x 27” and sounds similar to the upper manual of a French double manual harpsichord. Plastic jacks with adjustment screws are standard, though wood jacks are also available, as is a painted exterior with gold trim. Price: $17,000. I also offer this instrument decorated in the English fashion of veneered crossbanded panels with bone covered keyboards, fancy brass hinges, and a turned trestle stand. Price: $20,000. |
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French 17th c. Double Manual HarpsichordsThis model is based on a photo of an antique destroyed during World War II. It shares similarities to the Dennis instrument in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. It has a range of (GG-d’’’), strung in brass with a (2’x8’, 1’x4’) disposition with buff stop and transposing keyboard. Ebony naturals with light colored sharps and arcaded fronts are standard, but Gothic trefoil arcades are available as an option. T his case is painted and trimmed with gold bands. A parchment “wedding cake” rose is standard. Price: $23,000. |
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French 18th c. Double Manual HarpsichordsThese are the largest and most complex of all the instruments I currently offer. They have five octave (FF-f’’’) ebony covered keyboards with bone topped sharps. They have three stops, (1x8’, 1x4’) on the lower keyboard, and a (1 x 8’) on the upper, with a shove coupler to combine all these on the lower. Wood jacks are standard but plastic jacks can be substituted. I offer models based on harpsichords by Taskin and Blanchet, but other models can be made for the same price. These instruments measure about 92’ x 37” and come painted and trimmed in gold. Price: $24,500. Single manual versions are available for $22,000. All of these instruments come with a turned four leg stand, but table stands of all types can be supplied as options from $2,000 and up. |
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A Note on Ordering:
A ten percent deposit is due upon ordering, with payment in full upon delivery. Delivery times vary. I am happy to discuss these instruments or any others you may desire to have built. I can be reached by clicking here.
