Double-strung Harp saga: redux

[randal]

Lovely harp and playing Allison.

I can corroborate Biagio, Balfour – I would love a double (but no, I’ll likely not acquire one – unless in trade 😉  )

 

[Allison Stevick]

Hi again, all. Reviving this old thread again…  😉 I have recently decided that playing this harp with fingernails sounds better than finger pads, and I made a new video! I’ve also added a wide leather guitar strap to the mix, but it doesn’t really show in this video. It’s actually pretty comfortable, since it’s 3″ wide and padded. Anyway, still enjoying the little double and happy that when I play it with nails, it’s easier to switch back and forth with the wire harp. 🙂

 

 

[Biagio]

Very lovely indeed Allison!  You are embarrassing me – time to get back to playing.

I got into a conversation with an early Gaelic wire harp fan – oops, spent all that practice time on designing one (narrow spacing, na comluighe pitch).  My bad!  But it was fun:-)

Randal, a small double is not difficult to make and would only set you back about $500 at most.  I can send you a string design if you like.

Biagio

[balfour-knight]

Very nice, Allison.  Thanks for posting this video!

[Allison Stevick]

Thanks, Biagio and Balfour!

Those wire harps are strangely addicting, aren’t they? 😉 Sounds like design time well spent.

[Biagio]

Ha ha, yes indeed Allison.  Interesting discussion on the Wireharp forum: apparently Jay Witcher made a (wire) double strung version of the Patrick Ball for Ann Heymann.  Yikes!

I am not that ambitious but it will still be a substantial 30 string harp, pretty big for wire.  Thank goodness there’s all winter to ponder, “Do I really want to do this??”

Cheers,

Biagio

[Elettaria]

Late to the party, but this is really lovely! How are you doing with it now? More videos are always welcome!

<span style=”font-size: 16px;”>I am starting to get tempted by a double strung, but I too am in the double strung desert that is the UK, and I am looking for a very light harp on a budget. Biagio has been immensely helpful in talking me through designing a version of the harps which have cardboard soundboxes, so it should be suitably light. The friend who’ll be doing most of the building is ill, hence the delay. And now I am tempted to try making it a double, but I expect that is far too much to aim for in a first attempt. We’ll see how the planned one goes. </span>

[Allison Stevick]

Thank you, Elettaria! I hope to make a new video or two sometime soon, but it’s been crazy busy around here for the past couple months. 🙂

EDIT to add: I know you saw (and commented, thanks!) on Both Sides the Tweed, but don’t know if you saw my versions of Twa Corbies and Auld Lang Syne–so if not, then there are some new-ish videos on my channel. 😉

I hope your harp design comes out just how you want it! I’m sure we all look forward to seeing pictures and videos once your friend gets it built (and I hope they get well soon).  I enjoyed playing my little cardboard harp when I had it, and I bet you’ll have fun with yours, too.

 

• This reply was modified 6 years, 11 months ago by Allison Stevick.

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