Harpmaking Frequently Asked Questions v1.0 June, 1998 Introduction: This FAQ is intended for people who would like to investigate building a harp. It mainly deals with nylon string folk (aka celtic) harps though some materials exist for other types. Large concert pedal harps are not covered. The FAQ is meant to be a bibliography and compendium of hardware and string suppliers. There are a few questions discussed to help determine if building is really something you might want to undertake. The FAQ does not attempt to give information on how to actually build a harp, it only provides pointers for you to learn on your own and places that can supply you with plans and hardware. Q. Should I build a harp? That depends on what your goals are. If your real desire is to play but making looks like it might be fun, you are probably better off buying a harp. Building will most likely not be as fun as thought and take much longer than expected, prolonging the period of not having an instrument to play. If you are mildly curious about harp construction then reading and chatting with makers should suffice. If you have a strong desire to build a harp for its own sake, it is quite feasible and has been done many times by complete beginners, usually with satisfactory and satisfying results. Q. Would making a harp save me money verses buying one? That depends. In most cases you would be better off buying one if your main objective is to save money. Even if you count your time as free, the tools required, the skills that need to be developed along with the potential for beginners to compromise acoustic and/or structural requirements needs to be considered. Be realistic: what are the chances your first instrument will approach that of a professional who has made hundreds? If saving money is your main reason for wanting to build you would be better off doing extra work you know well and save for one, leaving the harpbuilders to do what they do well. Look around for used instruments in good condition which are usually less expensive than new. Q. I really want to build. What are my options? There are several levels one can start with. Presented more or less in order of increasing difficulty: Get an instrument "in the white". This is a phrase meaning the instrument is built but needs the finish applied. After finishing hardware like tuning pegs and strings must be installed, then regulation as the harp is brought up to tension. Don't be fooled into thinking this gets you a playable harp fast. Something like a third to a half of the time spent making most musical instrument is in finishing them. Get a kit. This is a good avenue if you want to get your hands on the wood and don't mind buying a few clamps and other tools to assemble it. It is also reasonable if you are a beginning woodworker but have not made a musical instrument before. With kits the correct hardware is included, the parts come dimensioned and usually the holes drilled, though you should ask about this to make sure. The visual difference between holes done with a drill press verses a hand drill are usually dramatic. Buy plans and instructions. Note the part about instructions. Drawings alone will probably not yield a satisfactory end product. This level is for those who have access to a shop and woodworking experience. You will be buying rough lumber and milling the pieces. It is not to be undertaken lightly by those who don't meet these requirements. If you don't personally have a shop (or friend or relative who does), you should check out local community school woodworking classes. For usually modest fees you get access to power tools (no guarantee on their condition, though) and a person who can show you how to operate them correctly. I know a guy who even built a harpsichord this way! Scratch build. This is where you design your own harp then build it. People able to do that don't need this FAQ. Enough said. If you've made it to here still wanting to build, the following list of suppliers and written resources will get you on your way. Harpmaking Bibliography: ------------------------ The bibliography is not intended to be exhaustive. In actuality, there is very little available on building harps, especially collected in one source. Not every article and book which deals with harpmaking in brief or in part is listed. In alphabetical order, Folk Harp Journal See www.isfhc.org The quarterly journal of the International Society of Folk Harpers and Craftsmen. The FHJ is largely geared towards players but sporadically contains articles of interests to makers. Also, recent issues will have current advertisements of suppliers of kits and hardware. There is an index of articles available sorted by topic which can zero in on specific back issues of interest. You can access this index on their Web site listed above. Folk Instruments, Make Them and Play Them Dennis Waring This book has one chapter on making a small wire strung harp as well as many other instruments of varying sophistication. The string schedule is somewhat suspect as he found steel needed for the upper strings. Such wire is a poor practice for acoustic harps and indicates an instrument pitched too high. The instructions are thorough, though. Harpmakers mailing list archives See www.tns.lcs.mit.edu/harp/harp-makers/archives/ This site contains the harpmakers mailing list postings since its inception. Most likely many of your questions have been discussed before on it. Worth thoroughly searching before asking a question to the list. Harpmaker's Notebook (last known price, US$40) Mark Bolles 3611 Ridge Country San Antonio, TX 78247 USA markbolles@juno.com This is a collection of excerpts from the Folk Harp Journal penned by Mark Bolles during the '80s. Some of the articles have been expanded all set in a ring binder. Mark also sells a stringband generation and analysis program. The Irish & Highland Harp Robert Bruce Armstrong This Victorianish book is long out of print but contains many dimensions and drawings of (then known) existing old harps of Ireland and Scotland. It does not have instructions on building them. Your best bet to get this one is through interlibrary loan though reprints have occured and may be floating around for purchase. Required reading for those interested in making wire strung harps. Making Early Stringed Instruments R Z Taylor ISBN 0 85442 051 7 This book contains plans for a gothic style harp. X-HARPS, History, Playing technique, Music and construction of the cross strung chromatic harp. By Hannelore Devaere and Philippe Clement. 134 pages Cerlox binding. Black and white pictures. ISBN 0-9683652-0-5 Price; $19.00 US + $3.00 shipping (or $5.00 outside Nafta countries). Checks or money order to: Philippe Clement 5013 County Road 9, RR#3 NAPANEE, Ontario Canada K7R 3K8 This book contains a chapter with information on building cross strung harps, the only source known for such. Hardware and String suppliers: ------------------------------ The suppliers listed have folk harps as a major concern. Other supply outfits such as for luthiers or even machine shop sources have a few items of potential use and interest to a harpmaker but they are not listed. Wood suppliers are also not listed; advertisements for North American tonewood dealers can be found in journals such as American Lutherie (see www.luth.org.) The sources listed here are all small outfits and you will usually talk with the maker/owner. This intimacy is a great resource. Don't hesitate to ask for specialty items you might have in mind, they can often accommodate you. Regarding strings, "bulk" refers to a coil of monofilament. "Wounds" come in single strings made to your specifications, or the specs looked up in a database for known harps. If you are interested specifically in wire strung instruments, the string makers usually have bulk phosphor bronze but not brass. Contact harpsichord makers/suppliers for brass string. Gut string is also not carried by the string suppliers listed here. Some of the large concert harp companies can sell you appropriate string. Another avenue to search are the lute and historical string instrument Web pages and journals. The list is in alphabetical order of country and supplier. Short, flattering comments are supplied when extra information is known. United Kingdom -------------- Border Harps Waterloo Cottages Letton, Hereford HR3 6DN 01544 327352 Kits Peter Brough ++44 (0)1647 433 450 (phone) pbrough@scorhill.demon.co.uk (e-mail) Sharping levers These levers get rave reviews. They are made of cast silicon bronze. Jack Hayward 5 Sun Gardens Burghfield Common, Reading RG7 3JB ++44 (0)118 983 3922 (phone) Strings Insurance secondhand harp contact Holywell Music 58 Hopton St London SE1 9JH 0171 928 8451 Strings Hardware Pilgrim Harps Stanstead House, Tilburstow Hill Road South Godstone, Surrey RH9 8NA 01342 893242 Hardware United States ------------- Dragonwhispers P.O. Box 211 Mt. Laguna, CA 91948-0211 619-473-9010 (phone) 619-473-1233 (fax) brtruitt@ix.netcom.com (e-mail) Bulk string Sharping levers Tapered soundboards Full line of hardware Betty is especially ammenable to custom work - specialty tuning pins, soundboards, strings, the works. Her third generation sharping levers are at the top end. Loveland Harps Box 1011 Loveland, CO 80539 970-532-2249 Sharping levers Robert Bunker made the first really effective sharping lever available for folk harps. They grew to dominate the market, supplying nearly every professional maker. "Lovelands" are the lever against which all others are compared. Markwood Musical Strings and Cases 809 W. First Street Phoenix OR 97535 541-535-7700 (phone) 541-535-5657 (fax) MWstrings@aol.com (e-mail) http://members.aol.com/mwstrings/markwood.htm (WWW) Strings, bulk and custom wound Laurie maintains an astronomically large database of string schedules for professionally made harps. She has a service to work out a stringband from suitable information as well. Mountain Glen 809 W. First Street Phoenix OR 97535 541-535-7700 (phone) 541-535-5657 (fax) mtglen@aol.com (e-mail) http://members.aol.com/harpkits/cambria.htm (WWW) Kits of various stages of completion Plans and excellent instructions Tapered soundboards Glenn bought the rights to Mark Bolles' excellent plans, kits and instructions. The Cambria line is a must check out for those looking into building harps. Musicmaker's Kits, Inc P.O. Box 2117 Stillwater, MN 55082 612-439-9120 info@musikit.com (e-mail) www.musikit.com (Web URL) Kits Plans and excellent instructions Hardware Strings, bulk and resells wounds for their line Jerry & crew specialize in beginners. Their gothic kit line was developed with those having no shop and little experience foremost in their minds. A must contact for potential makers. Customer support is a high priority. Robinson's Harp Shop 33908 Mt. Laguna Drive P.O. Box 161 Mt. Laguna, CA 91948 619-473-8556 (phone) 619-473-8212 (fax) Full line of hardware Strings, bulk and custom wound Blade sharping levers Plans and fair instructions The premier and perhaps most completely stocked supplier of harp hardware. The instructions with their plans presuppose some amount of woodworking experience. Every maker knows of the late Robbie's place. Vermont Strings RR 1 Box 8790 Waterbury Center, VT 05677 802-244-8564 (phone/fax) The East Coast affiliate of Robinson's Harp Shop. It's unknown at this time if they make only strings or sell all the hardware Robinson's does.