The father, son and grandson Blanchet were one of the most famous families of harpsichord-makers during the 17th and 18th century in France. They enjoyed their greatest fame due to the ravalements (renovation and expansion) of the Flemish harpsichords by Ruckers and Couchet.
Nicolas Blanchet, the founder of the dynasty, lived at the time of the transition from the traditional early French style to the later Flemish influenced way of building. I chose one of his instruments, built around 1715, because it still has this speaking quality of the older tradition, which is less prominent in harpsichords of his son. The tone is rich and bright, with deep basses and a clear, singing treble.
It's compass is FF - f''' with transposition.
The case is made of lime and pine, the strings are made of copper, brass and iron.
Dimensions are: 240 x 92 x 27 cm | 