Flemish

Instruments

Flemish Instruments

The case is of poplar or willow, painted upon a chalk base, inside with tapestry. For extra charge gilding or marbling is possible. The soundboard is of fine spruce and has a gilded tin-rose. Painting of soundboard and lid upon request. The key tops normally are of bone and bog oak. The stand of oak in typical Flemish form is standard, the elaborate ladder-form with up to 11 turned columns is possible for extra charge.

Please click on one of the following links to jump to the particular instrument list:

Harpsichords | Virginals


I. Harpsichords


01

Two-manual Flemish harpsichord after Johannes Ruckers (1624)

Image gallery and details▶︎

02

Two-manual Flemish harpsichord after Johannes Ruckers (1624)

Image gallery and details▶︎

03

Two-manual Flemish harpsichord after Johannes Ruckers (1624)

Image gallery and details▶︎

04

Two-manual Flemish harpsichord after Johannes Ruckers (1624)

This instrument is available for concert rental

Image gallery and details▶︎

05

Single-manual Flemish harpsichord after Andreas Ruckers (1637)

Image gallery and details▶︎

06

Two-manual Flemish harpsichord after Johannes Ruckers (1624)

NEW!

Image gallery and details▶︎


II. Virginals


01

Flemish double virginal after Johannes Ruckers (around 1620)

Image gallery and details▶︎


Photos: © Volker Platte (except as noted otherwise)

German

Instruments

German Instruments

The instruments are built from plain wood (case of solid walnut, maple, cherry etc.) or painted upon a chalk base. The natural key tops are of ebony, the sharps are of pear with a layer of bone. With the Zell-instruments the natural key tops are of bone, the sharps are made of ebony. The stand consists of an upper and lower frame with six to eight turned legs.

Please click on one of the following links to jump to the particular instrument list:

Harpsichords | Clavichords | Clavicytheriums


I. Harpsichords


01

Single-manual German harpsichord after Christian Zell (1741)

Image gallery and details▶︎

02

Single-manual German harpsichord after Christian Zell (1741)

Image gallery and details▶︎

03

Two-manual German harpsichord after Michael Mietke (around 1700)

Image gallery and details▶︎

04

Two-manual German harpsichord after Michael Mietke (1710)

Image gallery and details▶︎

05

Two-manual German harpsichord after Michael Mietke (undated)

NEW!

Image gallery and details▶︎


II. Clavichords


01

Fretted Swiss clavichord after Johann Conrad Speisegger (Schaffhausen, 1725)

Image gallery and details▶︎

02

German clavichord around 1700 after Leipzig No. 10

Image gallery and details▶︎


III. Clavicytheriums


01

Early Renaissance clavicytherium after an anonymous model

NEW!

Image gallery and details▶︎


Photos: © Volker Platte (except as noted otherwise)

Legal Notice / Privacy Policy

Legal Notice / Privacy Policy


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Website

www.volkerplatte.de


Address and contact

Volker Platte
Master Harpsichord Builder
Martinsgasse 4
42897 Remscheid-Lennep · Germany

+49 21 91 6 57 08
cembalobau@volkerplatte.de


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    Volker Platte
    Martinsgasse 4
    42897 Remscheid-Lennep · Germany

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Biography

Biography

Besides the work in my workshop I pay much attention to my further education. Through regular studies of the originals in the museums (Berlin, Nuremberg, Munich, Leipzig Hamburg, etc.) I deepen my knowledge in instrument building and train my intuition for the historical antetypes. In addition, I am in constant communication with colleagues, and since 1989 I have taken part in instument-exhibitions in Brugge, Herne and Regensburg. Since 2003 I have been a member of the German Clavichord Society and sometimes exhibit clavichords from my workshop at their various reunion places.

Volker Platte

201930th anniversary of my workshop
201425th anniversary of my workshop
1999Encouraged by the Lennep resident Reverend Karlheinz Kirsch the Lennep Harpsichord Days are launched in my workshop.
1995Relocation of the workshop to Remscheid/Lennep. The new workshop has more space and light and is better situated as it is nearer to the train station of Lennep. Apart from German and Italian instruments (harpsichords, clavichords, spinets) also some Dutch Ruckers-copies, both as single-manual harpsichords after Andreas Ruckers as two manual copies (petit ravalement) after Johannes Ruckers, and French instruments have been constructed here. Last but not least, instruments are always repaired and restored here.
1990 – 1995In the following years an intense concentration on the early harpsichord building follows: for example, reconstruction of a clavicytherium rd. 1480, copy of a double-virginal after Andreas Ruckers and a two-manual Italian harpsichord. Apart from these a two-manual harpsichord in Dutch construction after Albert Delin (1750), some single- and two-manual copies after Christian Zell as well as many single-manual Italian harpsichords are constructed.
1990/91Parallel to workshop duties, harpsichord lessons with Justina Lipinski.
1989Opening of my own workshop in Schwenke/Halver, where a copy of a clavichord after Domenicus Pisaurensis (1543) and a copy of an Italian harpsichord after an anonymous antetype of the 17th century are created and several repairs completed.
1987/88Work with Rolf Küster, a Master of Piano Building in Remscheid.
1986/87Master-School in Ludwigsburg, at the weekends construction of the master-piece: a two-manual German harpsichord after Christian Zell (1728) – subsequently master exam.
1983 – 1986Journeyman’s years at Sassmann.
1982/83Military service (construction of an open timber frame wall as divider of the crew’s room).
1982Journeyman’s exam with award, 1st prize-winner of the Federal Competition of Artisan Youths.
1978Apprenticeship as Piano- and Harpsichord-Builder at Martin Sassmann.
1977Work experience with the artisan cabinet maker Georg Schnepper in Wipperfürth, copy of a theorbo.
1976First handicraft experiences through a construction of an ukulele.
1974First guitar lessons with Johannes Schmidt in Lennep.
1970Relocation to Wipperfürth in the country.
1961Birth on April 9th in Remscheid as son of the ceramic-artisans Hans-Eberhard and Ulrike Platte.

(Just click onto any photo to view the gallery with larger images.)


Photos: © Volker Platte (except as noted otherwise)

Workshop

Workshop

Most times several instruments are in construction at the same time – over there the raw case of a clavichord, aside of a nearly finished stringed harpsichord. For many customers I have documented photographically the construction of their instruments. At each stage of the building process I let any interested person look behind the scenes.

If you are interested in an instrument from my workshop, you are cordially invited to visit me in Martinsgasse in Lennep to get an impression of my work on the instruments under construction.
The photos shown here will give you a first glance.


News from my workshop

Shortly after completion: Polygonal spinet after Domenicus Pisaurensis. You can find further details under No. 02 of the Italian spinets on the page Italian Instruments.

(Just click onto any photo to view the gallery with larger images.)


Address and Contact

Volker Platte
Master Harpsichord Builder
Martinsgasse 4
42897 Remscheid-Lennep · Germany

+49 21 91 6 57 08

cembalobau@volkerplatte.de


Workshop Impressions

(Just click onto any photo to view the gallery with larger images.)


Suppliers and partners

To guarantee highest quality I rely on dependable and high class suppliers and partners for special parts and services with whom I have been working successfully for a long time:


Approach and Routes

A click onto the map transmits you to the interactive Google Maps page.


By car

On Motorway A1 (E37) take exit 95a (Remscheid/Lennep), subsequently turn off onto the L58 in direction Remscheid/Lennep. After crossing the railways turn right into Lüttringhauser Straße. Follow straight on up to junction Mollplatz/Thüringsberg (Lennep Old-town Ring), there turn left and again right (Mollplatz). After 75 m turn left into the Gänsemarkt, the next turnoff to the right after approx. 100 m is Martinsgasse.

By railway and public transport

With the railway to Wuppertal Hauptbahnhof (Central Station). From there on working days local trains travel to the station Remscheid-Lennep every 20 minutes. From there it is an approximately 600 m walk to my workshop. To get there: please stay on the left on the street Am Bahnhof, from there turn to the right to Bergstraße. At the end of it turn to the left into Poststraße, at its end turn to the right into the street Mollplatz. Follow this street to the end and stay on the right. After 50 m turn to the left into the Gänsemarkt. The next turnoff to the right, approx. after 100 m, is the Martinsgasse.


Photos: © Volker Platte (except as noted otherwise)

References

References

Here I would like to present some customers in Germany and Europe for whom I have built historical keyboard instruments or to whom I have lent an instrument for performances and recordings.

In addition, I am always happy to lend instruments from my workshop to artists during concerts or events.



Artists, Ensembles and Music Lovers


(Just click onto any photo to view the gallery with larger images.)


Photos: © Volker Platte (except as noted otherwise)

Concert Rental

Concert Rental


For concert rental I can currently offer the following instruments:


I.

Italian Baroque harpsichord
after models of the 17th century

Image gallery and details▶︎

II.

Two-manual Flemish harpsichord
after Johannes Ruckers (1624)

Image gallery and details▶︎


Photos: © Volker Platte (except as noted otherwise)

Instruments

Instruments

On these pages I present a representative choice of instruments with images and descriptions.

For my instruments I use only first class, long-seasoned wood. For glue I use hide and fish glue which have been tested and approved for hundreds of years. I make the finish of the instruments with natural substances such as linseed oil, shellac, bees wax and either oil-colour or egg-tempera on chalk base.

Should you be interested in further information and samples of my work as well as my current instrument and price list (without images) or in the instruments I offer for concert rental I look forward to hearing from you.

For all contact details or the directions for your visit, please refer to the page Workshop.


Categories


Photos: © Volker Platte (except as noted otherwise)

Homepage

Welcome to my Website!

Since 1989 I have been building in my own workshop high-quality copies and newly-designed historical keyboard instruments from different countries, epochs and building traditions: harpsichords, clavichords, virginals and spinets. In my workshop each instrument is a handcrafted, unique specimen, built as a true replica of the original or according to the individual conception of the customer.

On these pages I would like to show you the instruments I build, my workshop in Remscheid-Lennep, the local region, myself, as well as my references. Should you have questions and are interested in your own instrument or want more detailed information about the instruments and specimens shown, don’t hesitate to contact me.


Recently updated:

  • On 22 October 2025, the website was completely converted to a modern content management system and is now optimised for display on all mobile devices.
  • A new Renaissance harpsichord (No. 07) has been added to the section Italian Instruments.
  • The list of my References has been updated with new clients and artists.
  • The new menu item Concert Rental was added.
  • Contact details and information on how to find us can now be found on the page Workshop.

Image Gallery

(Just click onto any photo to view the gallery with larger images.)


Photos: © Volker Platte (except as noted otherwise)