Alternative strings for a vegetarian harpist?

[HBrock25]

Hi

I have just signed up for the forum so not quite sure if this is the right place to post this. 🙂

My name is Evangeline, I’m 17 and I started teaching myself harp about six months ago (having previous experience with piano) on a small nylon strung folk harp and now I am looking to progress up to a pedal harp. The problem that I have is that I am a vegetarian so I don’t really want to have to use gut strings.

I have tried searching around the internet but can’t really find any information as to weather there is another type of string that could be used instead. I was wondering if you had any suggestions as to an alternative?

I understand that you have to have a certain gauge string depending on what harp type and model you have to avoid damage to the soundboard.

Thanks in advance. 🙂

Evangeline

[catherine-rogers]

Pedal harps can be strung with nylon instead of gut. If you buy a second-hand harp and change the strings from gut to nylon, you should have it regulated to accommodate the difference. Be aware that 5th octave nylons can sound kind of dull compared to gut. If you do this, consider recycling the gut strings you remove by donating them to another harpist. They’re expensive and there’s no point in wasting them. Put them in the envelopes the nylons came in so there’s no confusion.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

Using gut strings does not mean a sheep is slaughtered just so you can have a harp string. I am sure they get eaten by non-vegetarians. Nylon or Savarez strings are alternatives.

[deb-l]

Evie, I am a vegetarian too, mostly vegan.

[Tacye]

Hi Evie,
Any pedal harp (unless you have one made to order for you) will have been strung with gut strings by the maker.

[Author]

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