Franco-Flemish Double Manual
This instrument is based on a harpsichord built by J. Goermans in 1764
(enlarged by Pascal Taskin in 1783), owned by the late Raymond Russell and
now part of the Russell Collection in the University of Edinburgh. It was
originally said to have been made by Jan Couchet, but research by Sheridan
Germann enabled her to prove that the rose had been carefully filed down to
look like IC rather than JG, thus increasing the value. The Johnson templates were
made some twenty years ago, and have been redrawn 5 times over that period,
each time taking the instrument closer to Flemish designs of the late
17th-18th Century and away from the French influence.
The compass is five octaves (FF/f3) working 2 x 8ft and 1 x 4ft choirs
with a buff stop to the lower manual 8ft register. The upper manual keyboard
can be coupled to the lower manual through a draw coupler, giving a great
variety of sounds. All instruments are made to work at baroque pitch A 415Hz,
but can be transposed up or down to A 440Hz or A 392Hz with the loss of FF
in the lower position.
The natural keys are covered with 3mm ebony veneers in the French
tradition. Accidentals are made from ebony and covered with a bone veneer.
Only the finest materials are used: air-dried violin quality spruce
(Picea Abies) for the soundboard, air-dried poplar for scantlings,
quarter-sawn lime for key shafts and pear and holly for the jacks. The
instrument rests on a stand which divides into two parts for ease of transport.
Instruments are finished in a lacquer colour of choice and decorated in
the French 18th Century style with finest quality, double thickness
gold leaf. Decorated soundboards and mottoes are available options.