Peter Barnes Harpsichords.

Welcome to my Website and listing of Keyboard Instruments.

Established 1990 and running on 100% renewable electricity since 2007!

Flemish Harpsichord after Albertus Delin c.1750, by Oliver Moor, 2000.

This versatile harpsichord has 2 x 8' stops with buff, GG-e3 compass and is transposing 415/440 with the full compass, and 465 with the loss of the top note. It is strung in Rose Iron and Brass, with Delrin plectra and wooden jacks and registers. It is in full playing condition and is a very useful instrument for concert hiring and professional use.
 
Decorated with traditional soundboard painting after Ruckers, printed case papers and red case paintwork in good condition. 

The case is 215cm long, 91cm wide and 28cm deep.
The stand takes apart into three sections for ease of transport. 

This lovely harpsichord can now be seen in my Somerset Showroom! 

The asking price is £6,400.
Single Manual Harpsichord after Donzelague by Douglas Hollick 1990.

This harpsichord has blue paintwork, with gold bands and a cream interior and is in very good condition. Owned by a professional musician and recently serviced by Douglas Hollick, this instrument has two 8' stops with a buff. 
The compass is five octaves, FF-f3 which transposes A=440/415(with the loss of the top note at A=440).It has traditional, wooden jacks and registers, pearwood bridge and nut, a decorated soundboard and is strung in brass and iron wire.
The harpsichord is 228cm long, 94cm wide and 30cm high and sits on a stand that is 65cm high. This stand takes apart into three sections for transport.

The asking price is £7,500.
Italian Harpsichord by Colin Booth, 2018.

This stunning harpsichord is new, and has only been used once - for a hiring with 'The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment'.
Brass Strung, 2 x 8' stops with GG-d3 compass which is transposing 415/440, and to 466 with loss of the top note.
The case measures 218cm long, 86cm wide and 20cm deep and the stand can be taken apart so that it can be laid flat on the instrument for transport. There is a padded cover for the harpsichord and the turned legs.
The case is decorated with marbled paintwork and there is a very decorative rose.

The asking price for this instrument is £11,500.


French Bentside Spinet by William Groom 1986.
This spinet has fine wooden jacks, registers and keyboard with Bone and Ebony key facings. 
The compass is GG-e3, with iron and brass strings tunable to A=440 or 415. 
It has a solid, turned oak stand, music desk and casework veneered in Maple. 
The case is 180cm long, 68cm deep at the widest point and 27cm high. The stand is 62cm high.
This spinet is in good playing order, but there is some sun damage to the external veneer. 

The asking price is £2,500.
Pipe Organ for sale: 

This is a three-rank extension organ built by R. Wood in Huddersfield in 2004. Dimensions are 9 feet 3 inches high ( to the top of the tallest pipe ) 8.4 ft 4'2" deep and 5' wide. It has a radiating / concave pedal board. It is understood that the tallest two pipes could be mitred so that the organ would be reduced in height to about 8 feet high.

Ped: Bourdon 16, Bass flute 8, Octave 4
Man I: Gedackt 8, Principal 4, Wald flute 4, Mixture II
Man II: Gedackt 8, Flute 4, Nazard 2 2/3, Octave 2
3 couplers, electric action

We are looking for offers over £12000 for this very special instrument and beautifully made instrument.

Virginals by Mark Stevenson, 1972, after Ruckers 1598 and 1611.

These virginals are in good playing and decorative order and decorated in dark green with marbled papers. The compass is C-e3 with iron and brass strings. They are currently tuned to A=440 but can also be tuned to A=415. The lid and fall board have removable hinge pins. They sit on a turned beech stand based on the paintings of Vermeere. 

The Virginals are 170cm long, 65cm wide and 22cm high. The stand is 66cm high and has been made in one unit. There is a lightweight cover included with this instrument.

The asking price is £2,200.

Clavichord after Anon c.1740 by 

Double-fretted clavichord C-e3 with solid Maple case, lid and stand. In good playing condition. Now sold.

Clavichord by John Storrs.

Un-fretted Clavichord with 4 1/4 octave, C-e3 compass. Double strung throughout with new brass wire. The action has been reworked and adjusted by Peter Barnes, Nov 2019. Light and portable and in full playing order complete with stand.

For sale £950.
Two Clavichords by John Morley.
Five octave clavichord, tuned and in full playing order. Rests on four turned legs. Can be seen with owner in Bath, Somerset. £750.
Four octave Clavichord C-d3. Tuned and in full playing condition. Complete with matching stand. Now sold. 

English Harpsichord after Thomas Barton by Peter Barnes 2019.

This harpsichord, made by Peter Barnes in 2019, is in the English tradition and is based on the c.1715 bentside spinet by Keene and Brackley and the 1709 harpsichord by Thomas Barton. It has traditional wooden jacks, guides and keyboard, a detachable lid with solid decorative brass-work and a folding music desk. The inside of the case and the nameboard are made from Cedar wood, with cross-banded walnut capping. 

The harpsichord is strung with Malcolm Rose Iron and brass wire, it has 2x8’ stops and a walnut case and stand. The GG - f3 compass transposes A440 / 415 without loss of top or bottom notes. 

The stand detaches from the harpsichord and can be easily taken apart for transport. This harpsichord is 193cm long, 88cm wide and 21cm deep. It has a soundboard painting by Jennifer Douglas which is closely based on the Coston Harpsichord from the Edinburgh University Collection.

Sold, but available to commission for £9,800, or £8,300 without the soundboard decoration.

Click below for bigger images.


English Harpsichord 2019.mp3

 Part-made Bentside spinet.

This spinet kit is made in American Walnut with Cedar wood marquetry nameboard and cross banded capping. It is a close copy of an original spinet made by Keene and Brackley in c.1715. (Please see my page keene-and-brackley-spinet-c1715.php for photographs of the original instrument.) 

It can be tuned to A=415/440 and could probably be made into a transposing instrument.

The case measures 180cm x 65cm x 19cm (70" x 25" x 8") and the stand is 65cm  (25 1/2") high and can be easily taken apart into three pieces for transport. The instrument weighs about 25kg.

The photographs below show the kit parts and a spinet made from the same set of parts by myself in 2002. The kit dates from around this time and was made by the Renaissance Workshop Company in Bradford, Yorkshire. It is complete except for hinges and strings. Now sold.
Photograph of spinet made from the same parts:
Photographs of all parts of spinet, showing part made case and part made keyboard:
Details of a finished spinet made from the same parts:
Spinet by John Storrs.

A conveniently small spinet in full working order, suitable for a small Early Music ensemble. C-f3 compass which can be tuned to a=415/440. 
The light, Poplar case measures 116cm long, 61cm at the widest point and 17cm deep. the stand takes apart for transportation. (A previous customer took one of these popular spinets home with her on the train!) 

Sold for £1,150.
Michael Johnson FLEMISH SINGLE MANUAL HARPSICHORD  R33  c.2016

This instrument is closely based to the scaling and plucking points taken from the 1637 Andreas Ruckers in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg, (Inv. No. MIR 1073) that instrument was chosen because it is one of the few Ruckers harpsichords that survive almost unaltered. 

However the compass has been extended from the original C/E-c3 to GG-d3 chromatic.    To keep as close as possible to original case dimensions a narrower octave span of 161mm has been used, similar to that of the French makers Taskin and Blanchet.  

This instrument has also a second rank of 8ft jacks plucking the single 8ft choir set behind the 4ft choir.    It gives the facility to work the same string together with the front 8ft jacks.This gives a two 8ft sound that is in many ways preferable to the conventional one using two choirs of strings.
  
Keyboard shafts are made from poplar and the naturals are covered with casein ivory; the accidentals are made from ebony.    Beech is used for the jack blanks and traditional holly for the tongues with peek escapement springs. 

The instrument is voiced with acetyl plectra and is strung to work at A415 with p-wire iron and (Historic Music Wire) brass and red-brass for the bass strings.  

The keyboard will transpose in both directions to give A392 and A440, however there is a loss of the endnote in whichever direction the keyboard is transposed.


The asking price is £18,950 for this instrument complete with stool, spare strings, plectrum and tuning key.    And a Vogel fitted transport cover.


Here is a summary of instruments for sale:


Single Manual Harpsichord by Douglas Hollick 1990. £7,500.


Single Manual Harpsichord after Delin £6,400.


Virginal by Mark Stevenson 1972. £2,200.


Italian Harpsichord by Colin Booth, 2018. £11,500.


Bentside Spinet by William Groom. £2,500.


Organ by R Wood. £12,000.


Coming shortly:


New, Single Manual Harpsichord after Delin by Peter Barnes. £10,300.


Available to commission:


Peter Barnes, English Harpsichord after Thomas Barton.

Iron stringing with 2 x 8' stops, Walnut case and stand. Soundboard painting by Jennifer Douglas. Transposing 415/440 GG-f3. Available to commission for £8,300 without soundboard decoration or £9,800 with soundboard decoration.


Finished soon:


Single Manual Flemish Harpsichord after Delin. 


In process of construction, a single manual Flemish harpsichord, light and of good proportions.

2 x 8' stops, GG-e3 Transposing 415/440.

The case measures 210cm long, 88cm wide and 26cm high.

Price including soundboard decoration, £10,300.


Available now:


Double Basses by Peter Barnes 2016 and 2018.


Double Basses after Domenico Montagana c. 1750, for sale. (See Double Bass page for details double-bass.php )


Used instruments:


Bentside spinet by Peter Barnes 2002.


Choice of two Michael Johnson Single Manual Harpsichords. See Above.



110 unused David Bolton white jacks and tongues £120.


 

Good quality Keyboard instruments wanted. I am happy to sell your instrument on commission.



You can contact me by phone on 01373 831498 or (+44)7733619002, or by email peterbarnes850@btinternet.com or via this page: contact-us-and-instrument-transport-links.php





Now being made: 


Single Manual Flemish Harpsichord 

after Delin. (Similar to photos on right and below)


Traditional soundboard painting by Jennifer Douglas, printed papers and marbled case decoration. 


2 x 8' stops plus buff. The compass is GG-f3 and the keyboard transposes 415/440. 


Complete with soundboard decoration £10,300.


Double Bass after Domenico Montagana c. 1750.
Baroque neck angle suitable for traditional gut strings.
made by Peter Barnes in 2016, 
for sale £900.
More details on my Double Bass page: double-bass.php
Double Bass after Domenico Montagana c. 1750, 
made by Peter Barnes in 2018, Maple neck, sides and back, Sitka Spruce table and ebony fingerboard, for sale £2,100.