Sean Rawnsley has been making early keyboard instruments since 1977. He has had instruments used on concert platforms throughout Europe. When working in England he exhibited in London and Edinburgh. He has had instruments used on many concert platforms including South Bank in London and also in Italy and France. He has sold instruments to private individuals in a number of European countries and further afield.

The range of instruments I make to commission is very broad. It ranges from large double manual harpsichords to light cased Italian spinets and including forte-pianos and clavichords.  The choice of exact copies of original instruments, extends from the beginning of the seventeenth century until the first few years of the nineteenth.  As a result of a number of restoration projects I have had the opportunity to study the materials and techniques of the seventeenth and eighteenth century masters at first hand, thus enabling an extremely authentic approach to the art of musical instrument building in both its techniques and its acoustical refinements.  Without a shadow of doubt the pristine instruments which leave this workshop will withstand the rigours of time and use, as the originals have done since they left the workshops of their masters more than two centuries ago.

Apart from a few necessary machine tools to lessen the real donkeywork, everything is made by hand to achieve the quality of casework and to reproduce the accuracy of the mechanism.  Only original finishes and hide glues are used which, not only are in keeping with the spirit of the original makers, but also enable the resonance of the tone woods to reveal their hidden quality of sound.  I use only extremely well seasoned woods, which have aged and acclimatised to the stable atmosphere of my workshop. Only by applying this uncompromising approach to musical instrument making can a really fine instrument result, which possesses not only durability in construction and stability in tuning, but superb reliability of mechanism and an unprecedented excellence of tone.  I make exclusively for those discerning musicians who seek this quality.

Restoration Service
Sean Rawnsley will also undertake the repair and restoration of historical instruments.  Recent projects have included a 1710 anonymous Italian harpsichord. Quotations can be given after first hand inspection.