Martin Robinson
"I have been a harpsichord enthusiast ever since my school days, but since only recently have I had enough space at home to actually own my own instrument. I found an interesting second-hand instrument for sale at the 2005 Greenwich Early Music Festival, which is now settling in nicely in its new home." Contact Martin by the following Email link:
Hitchcock/Stevenson Double-Manual Harpsichrd: It has a fairly normal disposition of 8 + 8 + 4 + lute. The front 8-foot jacks are doglegged and operate from either keyboard, in the normal English fasion.
The lute is unusual in that it plucks the back 8, and this may be made independant of the front 8 (dogleg) by pulling the upper keyboard forwards by about 1 cm, thus disengaging the upper keys from the doglegs. This arrangement differs from the Hitchcock original.
The case is in walnut, with decorative veneering in the keywell and soundwell lining. The lid is mounted on large and elaborate brass strap hinges, following typical English practice.