Harpsichords Blog

Hiring in Warwick

March 17, 2016
The lift was too small for the big red harpsichord, so I have worked round the clock for the last two days to make the English harpsichord play. And here we are! Chris Monks is even improvising a buff stop by laying some damper felt over the strings. 

Posted by Peter Barnes. Posted In : Hirings 

 

Going to Moscow...

March 4, 2016
This harpsichord left today in a truck the size of my workshop!

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Posted by Peter Barnes. Posted In : Second-hand 

 

Coston soundboard painting

February 20, 2016
The New English Harpsichord soundboard is coming on...
  

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Posted by Peter Barnes. Posted In : Soundboard painting 

 

Zuckermann Concert V for renovation.

February 15, 2016
This harpsichord has arrived in a crate and I am offering it for total renovation as seen for £995. The keyboard looks good, all the jacks are in place, the registers move in the gap, but there is plenty to do, including repairs to the treble end of the hitch pin rail.
 


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Posted by Peter Barnes. Posted In : Second-hand 

 

New English Harpsichord Update

February 14, 2016
Jennifer is cracking on with the soundboard painting.



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Posted by Peter Barnes. Posted In : Soundboard painting 

 

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 p...
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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 

 
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About Me


Harpsichord Maker, restorer, repairer and vendor.