Double String Debate

[Biagio]

The costs do indeed vary depending on location and vendor – in the case of Ogden vs. Boulevard, they vary greatly. I’m quite astonished. In the US the Ogden sells for about $3200, the Boulevard for $2895. Quite a difference!

Not to be pushing the BV but I note that it is somewhat shorter than the Ogden and weighs less. Whatever.

Biagio

[wil-weten]

Oops, I am very sorry, I did not look right (I looked a line too low in the list at a DS FH34 in sapele), so I edited my post above.
The Boulevard sells for 3,365.00 euro according to https://www.zingendesnaar.nl/prijslijst.html

[evolene_t]

Tacye, I’ll expand on what Biagio has said about not having the ressources. If you go to the « Mine’s a Triple » subforum on this forum (near the bottom), you’ll find a few topics about et the double-strung, including one where I list many of the ressources online.

Furthermore, our various exchanges there will answer a lot of the pros-and-cons debate.
This topic compounds the debate concerning switching to the double-strung as a whole, and the specifics of buying the specific Lorraine Stoney End harp instead of getting your LH harp repaired. So I would take the time to search about the double-strung, and of course try out various harps, before deciding. (I wouldn’t have rented the Dusty Strings FH26 double had I not played it in the shop).

[Biagio]

I’m glad you chose a double, Evolene. A little anecdote:

About 35 years ago I was up in the town of Mendocino, California and what did my wondering eyes behold but two people busking outside the coffee shop – playing lever harps. Who were they? Laurie Riley and Michael McBean.

Back then lever harps were basically unknown outside a small group of mainly California folk musicians. Indeed many had made them or a friend had, and by today’s standards they were fairly simple – often blades instead of levers. I do recall that even for 10+ years after that sighting, there was a general feeling that lever harps were toys, or at best something “before you graduate to a REAL (aka pedal) harp”.

The point being that like any innovation, it takes time for general acceptance, and I do believe that this is happening for the double. Hope so anyway – I just wish that the wire strung would catch on next:-)

Biagio

[hisassociatescoaching@gmail.com]

I am so appreciative of all the great responses. Now my question focuses on repair of Lyon and Healy 15. Small crack in neck, also needs regulation. I live in the mountains of North East PA (Just below Binghamton NY). WHO SHOULD I CONSULT? Chicago is too far or is that my best option?

[Biagio]

A number of factory qualified technicians regularly travel around the country – doing such things as regulation and pedal adjustment. While they may not be able to do repairs on-site, they will know who might in your general area.

Here is a list of L&H Guild members – or call Lyon and Healey directly.

Home

Biagio

[Tacye]

Now this, Biagio, I do disagree with:
Back then lever harps were basically unknown outside a small group of mainly California folk musicians.
The Clarsach Society has been going in Scotland since 1931, for instance.

[Biagio]

True,Tacye and the Morleys and Clarks were pretty common too. But to be clear: I should have been more specific. Just to quibble…the Clarsach Society was and still is focused mainly on the wire strung harps, which rarely have sharping devices. Yes, the Society’s views have expanded to include lever harps beginning in the 1970s…which rather proves my point, I think.

We can debate whether Californians like Bolles, Truitt, Robinson, Witcher, Caswell (1970s) deserve credit in the USA and how much; personally I’d suggest it was considerable.

L&H was making Clarks, Troubadours, and Folk Harps; Douglas and Fey the Dilling harp etc. But really, I think it is fair to say that the average American had (and some still have) a mental picture of a pedal harp when they hear the word. The modern double strung harp has only been around since Laurie Riley and Liz Cifani came up with the idea in 1990.

Not very long ago! First they had to persuade luthiers to make them, then doubles had to be seen and heard to catch on, and I seems to me that is really only beginning.

Not that it matters, really, except that I see more interest in doubles over the last five years, and that was my point. Of course, that could just be me ha ha.

[Tacye]

I think you would find Stuart Eydmann’s book ‘In Good Hands’ which came out last year enlightening. The Clarsach Society had as its primary initial focus instrument the gut strung blade harp, though it now has a branch for the wire strung harp.

My point is perhaps mainly that there is more to the world than America.

[Biagio]

OK, my friend, I don’t want to get into an argument. We both know that the gut strung harp has a long history in Scotland. That is not what the Clarsach Society says about themselves, though, it is pretty much about the wire strung:

https://www.clarsachsociety.co.uk/clarsach-in-modern-scotland

Whatever…I began making harps for myself and a few friends in the 1990s;ironically nowadays I get a request for a double several times each year. “ironically” because I sold all my tools LOL. –

[wil-weten]

I haven’t got a clue, but what about the history of the German Wanderharfe?

[Biagio]

I have not read “In Good Hands” nor studied the Wanderharfe, but there is a lot of study and research of the harp’s history and it is pretty fascinating. If one includes what we now call the lyre – all the way back to the Golden Lyre of Ur at least, 4500 years ago.

Speaking of the Clarsach Society, on their website they show a pictorial history of known harps from all countries.

Tacye’s right – North America has been a very recent entrant in the overall time and scope of the harp. In fact, if I were asked to point to a single person who galvanized recent interest in the non-pedal harp it would have to be Alan Stivell of Brittany.

We are however discussing here (or were) the modern levered double strung. Liz and Laurie both had played the triple but felt that was somewhat limiting.

[Tacye]

Wandering off topic to double strung pedal harps, I think it is the Bate collection that has an historical example, made to try to get the doubling effect used in Welsh triple harp variations. The modern konghou is double strung and pedal examples are made. I think the first double harp I heard was a konghou played at the World Harp Congress in Prague in 1999.

[balfour-knight]

Never heard of a “double strung pedal harp!” Wow, wouldn’t that be a huge complicated mechanism? Did they, or DO they, have double action?

[Tacye]

The Victorian one, as I recall, had both sets of strings on the same side of the neck and extra long prongs on the disks. I am not surprised it didn’t catch on. I think it is double action, but would need to check.

The pedal konghou seems to be made with single or double action, the mechanism of this one looks double to me http://player.mashpedia.com/player.php?ref=mashpedia&q=Gv0DOFkhFm4

The two rows on a konghou are linked at the bottom, so pushing on one side bends the notes on the other. I find them fascinating!

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