English Bentside Spinet & English Bentside Spinet Kit

[more about the English Bentside Spinet]

English Bentside Spinet

Es: Espineta de ala, De: Querflügel, Spinett, Da: Spinet, Fr: Épinette, Espinette, It: Spinetta (ad ala), Nl: Spinet, No: Spinett, Pl: Szpinet, Pt: Espineta, Fi: Spinetti, Sv: Spinett



	Finished RWC English Bentside Spinet

Spinets have always been a popular keyboard instrument possibly due to their attractive shape but more probably because they only require about six feet of wall space (a harpsichord needs extra for the player's chair).

A spinet will fit in almost any room and is ideal for domestic practice and accompaniment.

Octave spinets were portable keyboard instruments, widely used in private homes in Italy throughout the 17th and 18th centuries to accompany singing.

RWC English Bentside Spinet


	Finished & Kit RWC English Bentside Spinet

The Renaissance Workshop Company produces two completely different spinets: The 4' Ottavino Spinet and the 8' English Bentside Spinet.

Our 8' English Bentside Spinet is a faithful copy of a particularly fine spinet by Stephen Keene signed jointly with his former apprentice Charles Brackley in his London Workshops. It dates from about 1718 and has a long bass octave rather than a broken octave, giving a full compass of GG - e'''.

We have copied the original in every detail, using solid walnut for the lid and sides, cedar for the nameboard, jackrail and internal veneer and spruce for the framing and baseboard. The instrument is almost a replica, and we believe that it sets a new standard for uncompromised design. No detail has been overlooked even down to casting the brass hinges from wax copies of the originals, or matching the faded colours of the marquetry panel. The spinet has an overall length of 178cm with a bass string length of 149cm, giving a sound equal to that of many full size harpsichords.

The instrument includes a matching walnut music desk, matching walnut turned stand and marquetry panel nameboard.

Disposition: Single 8' brass strung, 58 notes, GG - e'''. Size: 178cm long, 52cm wide, 19cm deep.

English Bentside Spinet Kit


	Detail of the decorated hinge in the RWC English Bentside Spinet

The same instrument is offered in kit form for home assembly. Our English Bentside Spinet Kit builds into one of the finest instruments we have produced to date.

As in the finished, only the highest quality materials are used throughout.

The price includes the license to build one instrument for private use and 12 months free access to our 'helpline' for advice on construction, setting up, playing and maintenance.

To ensure success, even for the first time builder, each kit includes:
A fully dimensioned life-size drawing and working template,
A manual with clear and concise step-by-step full assembly instructions.
A set of photographs illustrating further each stage.

The RWC 8' English Bentside Spinet Kit. Carefully selected seasoned timbers are used throughout so assembly can begin immediately. 'Swiss' pine for the soundboard is supplied planked, jointed and sanded to a thickness of only 2mm. The solid walnut casework sides have pre-cut mitred ends for accurate jointing and most importantly the bentside is supplied pre-bent and cleverly held to shape in a special jig. Matching walnut is planked and thicknessed for the lid. Cedar is quarter sawn for the nameboard, jackrail and internal casework veneer and like the original, the back, baseboard and bracings are cut from selected spruce. The wooden jacks have holly tongues ready to be fitted and the plectra are graded in thickness for ease of voicing. All the hardware parts, tuning pins, balance pins, hitch pins, bridge and nut pins, brass stringing and tuning lever are included to complete the kit.

A matching walnut music desk, turned stand kit, marquetry panel kit and decorative hinge kit are available for the English bentside spinet as optional extras.

Musi desk for the English bentside spinet.

Turned stand for the English bentside spinet. A fine English style turned stand in walnut ready for final sanding and assembly. Cleverly designed to be easily dismantled for transportation.

Marquetry panel Kit for the English bentside spinet. Re-create the original marquetry panel. Our specially designed kit makes it easy to accomplish. This remarkable kit has all the correct layers of veneer assembled in the correct order so that one cut around the marked pattern with the veneer saw is all that is necessary to achieve a truly professional finish.

Decorative Hinge & lock Kit for the English bentside spinet. A fine detailed copy of the original Keene & Brackley brasswork including long and short strap hinges, fall lock and key and even a copy of the original tisserian chain and pin safety catch!

English Bentside Spinet Technical Plan


	Finished & Kit RWC English Bentside Spinet

You can make the same English Bentside Spinet from scratch, following detailed step-by-step instructions through the construction process in a clear and concise manner.

A fully dimensioned life-size drawing with templates and a set of photographs illustrate each stage.

The price includes the license to build one instrument for private use and 12 months free access to our 'helpline' for advice on construction, setting up, playing and maintenance.

This icon indicates that you can choose between the hard copy of the documents sent by postal mail, or the downloadable electronic files, in pdf format to your computer. In order to view and print the pdf files, you need the free 'Acrobat Reader' program installed in your computer. Life-size drawings require large printers. Electronic documents have a reduced price, don't have shipping costs, but are non-refundable.

English Bentside Spinet Accessories and Spare Parts


	Finished & Kit RWC English Bentside Spinet

The Maintenance Kit allows you to have at hand some of the most needed parts to fix your instrument.

We provide lead-weighted jacks for our instruments. They are made from beech with holly tongues and have traditional hogs bristle springs.

Lead wire to counterbalance keys and add weight to jacks.

English Bentside Spinet Availability and delivery time

Not all of the items listed on our site are available immediately. Products without a reference nor a price are rarely available for quick dispatch. If you are interested in them, please contact us.

We publish standard availability, which means that this product usually ships in that time since it has been ordered. But at the specific time of your order, that interval can be longer or smaller depending on many production factors. In addition, you still will have to wait for your product to arrive (delivery time). [More info about availability & delivery dates]

	Finished Instrument		Three months
	Kit		Three weeks
	Drawing		Three days