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Carl Swanson Harp: Strings??
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Home › Forums › Harps and Accessories › Carl Swanson Harp: Strings??

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  • November 1, 2009 at 9:12 pm #75396
    Alice Smyth
    Participant

    Hi Everyone,
    I was wondering what strings are the best to use for a Semi-Gilded Empire Carl Swanson Harp.

    Thanks

    Alice

    November 1, 2009 at 10:35 pm #75397
    carl-swanson
    Participant

    Hi Alice- I would use standard gauge strings: gut in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th octaves, and nylon in octaves 1 and 2. You could if you want use gut in the second octave as well. It kind of depends on the particular instrument and what you prefer sound-wise.

    I have started experimenting with using lever gauge gut strings instead of standard gauge, on some pedal harps that I have and I really like their sound. The lever gauge strings are about .002(read 2 thousands of an inch) thinner than standard gauge, so it takes slightly less tension to get them up to pitch. But what I like about them is that they seem to give you a cleaner, more clearly defined pitch when you release the string. You could try that if you want.

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