Roland C-30 Digital Harpsichord comes with stained glass end panels

The new C-30 Digital Harpsichord comes with all the expected bells and whistles (various baroque tunings, meantone temprament), plus MIDI out (would make a great master keyboard, if you got used to the clicky action), and a really over-the top collection of optional extras ("decoration panel" and "picture board"). However, it can't really match the late '90s chic of the C-80 Digital Harpsichord with it's reverse keyboard and three legs. However, out-cooling all of these by a very long way is eBay item #110215197038 - an RMI electric harpsichord from the early '70s, which has no soundboard, but electric pickups. It must sound great through a good guitar amp...

Posted by Tom Whitwell.

Comments:

I wonder how hard it'd be to side-light the stained-glass panels with some holy LEDs...

That Baldwin is beyond slick. Perspex lid!

My friend's studio has a Virginal, apparently an early variant of the Harpsichord. His is very small, almost like an overgrown Clavinet, but is fully acoustic, a real trip to play.

Long time reader, first time poster. MT has been a big inspiration for my My new music/tech blog.

# posted by

Anonymous : 8:15 pm

Im not really sure why this really matters anyhow. Who the hell would want one.

# posted by

Anonymous : 4:51 am

The Baldwin was a rockin' machine.
It had magnetic pickups right across the whole range with separate pole pieces for each string.
It was split into two ranges with separate volume for the lower and upper half of the keyboard,
It did however require a considerable talent with a tuning hammer to keep the thing dialed into playable tune.

# posted by

david : 5:10 am

This may surprise some, but there are a bunch of real life harpsichords "out in the wild" ... not in museums or music schools, but in folks homes. Check out this web page.

# posted by

Anonymous : 7:25 am

The stained glass is kitch and anachronistic. The instrument plays and sounds well. Worth for lots of folks who live in small places or cannot afford the real 8-foot harpsichord.

# posted by

Unknown : 1:48 am