Silbernann Querspinett, bentside spinet, 1767

Silbernann Querspinett, bentside spinet, of around 1765; built in Strasbourg by Johann Heinrich Silbermann. Displayed in the BachHaus Museum, Eisenach. Johann Sebastian Bach would have played on such an instrument. By the 18th century, bentside spinets served for all sorts of home music making and musical instruction. The strings and spine run transversely to the player and are not parallel to the key levers. The strings are plucked much closer to their center points than are those of the harpsichord, producing a strong and sustained tone, but one which is darker and less brilliant. Bentside spinets almost invariably had only one set of strings at 8' pitch.