Home › Forums › Harps and Accessories › Double-strung harp saga
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balfour-knight.
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November 13, 2014 at 8:11 am #183520
Biagio
ParticipantOf course that is preferable and if the model and strings are production that should be the case. However with a new design or (in this case) “re-design”….strings continue to stretch, necks flex, the measured length may not have been accurate with respect to the string when it is wound (which is the most frequent reason).
Most winding machines pre-stretch the core but the string maker will usually wind to vibrating length plus an inch. If the pin is closer than typical to the peg (about 1 1/2″) – oops. On a double, one side’s VL may be a half inch or so greater than on the other i.e. the bridge pins and Z pegs do not directly face each other; rather, one side is higher. If they faced each other the neck would have to be 2” thick – wow, heavy!
And so on. You can see where I’m gong with that. If you’ve made the same model in production over and over again this is less likely to happen; and you have probably pre-drilled for levers too. First model made – there will be “errors”, guaranteed.
That, by the way, is why some shops will not mount levers for three months after the harp has been first strung and tuned, even for a model they often make.
Biagio
November 13, 2014 at 8:30 am #183521ParticipantSpeaking of harp shops: check out this photo tour of Dusty String’s shop by my friend Peg Coats:
http://dorveille.com/2013/02/09/a-photo-tour-of-dusty-strings-harp-making-facility/
Then compare their setup to that of Dave Thormahlen
http://www.thorharp.com/pages/ourshop.htm
or Rick Kemper:
http://www.sligoharps.com/btlh.html
These are all master craftspeople but their shops would not be more different.
Biagio
November 14, 2014 at 9:13 am #183576mae-mcallister
MemberPICTURES PICTURES PICTURES PICTURES PICTURES PICTURES PICTURES PICTURES PICTURES PICTURES PICTURES PICTURES PICTURES PICTURES PICTURES!
A reward for all the normal people who’ve had to put up with the harp string design geeks going nuts for the last fortnight [btw, have redesigned…decided I couldn’t stand not having my harp in F, so have redone the design assuming that. Plus, nice string lady at VT says .060 and .055 cores are lame, so have designed a better set of wound strings. Fewer pins to drill out!]
Neck is attached to pillar:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2014/11/IMG0009A-800×600.jpgCloser up:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2014/11/IMG0011A-800×600.jpgFrom the back:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2014/11/IMG0012A-800×600.jpgAnd the front:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2014/11/IMG0014A-800×600.jpgNeck needs to be chalk fitted to soundbox…
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2014/11/IMG0014A-800×600.jpgBecause of this:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2014/11/IMG0013A-800×600.jpgChalk fitting (1):
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2014/11/IMG0018A-800×600.jpgand (2):
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2014/11/IMG0019A-800×600.jpgand (3):
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2014/11/IMG0017A-800×600.jpgClose-up of the lovely heart:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2014/11/IMG0015A-800×600.jpgWasn’t that worth trawling through all that boring string-chat for:)
More pictures when I get more pictures:) The harp should be totally glued up by now…
November 14, 2014 at 9:47 am #183577wil-weten
ParticipantThanks for the pictures! I love seeing a harp ‘in progress’.
I get the impression that your harp would originally have a F below middle C as being the lowest string of your double Brittany. According to Stoney End’s site, though, the lowest string is G below middle C…
Please, enlighten me.Already looking forward to the next pictures!
November 14, 2014 at 10:09 am #183578Member“In F” meaning “plays in F when all the levers are disengaged” (rather than Eb), I’m still going ahead with the C/G sided thing:)
November 14, 2014 at 12:48 pm #183580Allison Stevick
ParticipantYay! Love the pics!
December 9, 2014 at 5:35 am #184109ParticipantHi Mae, any new pictures or information available? This harp adventure is so interesting and exciting for a lot of us, I think. Thanks in advance.
December 12, 2014 at 6:28 am #184186MemberHello,
Yes, totally news. I’ve kind of been holding back until I have pictures, but hey. So in the last month:
-The extra strings and hardware I need for my different string design were ordered and finally arrived on Monday. I say finally because they had a slight misadventure: after paying for the tax on them, and the tax on shipping, and admistrative tax levied FOR THE PRIVILEDGE OF PAYING THE OTHER TAX (no kidding), they were supposed to arrive last Friday only they didn’t. A few enquiries later and it turns out they did, but for some reason there was a bit of a mess-up on the other end, but I’ve got them now so all’s well. I will post pictures of all the bits because it’s quite exciting. Vermont Strings were truly very helpful!
– Levers got ordered the other day and shipped yesterday. Whoo! (A bit of confusion regarding what Stoney End recommends for levers and what Loveland levers do. Massive panic ensues when I realise that all my scale lengths were based on an approximate “holding-the-pieces-kind-of-way” when I first got the kit and aren’t all that accurate. Frantic phone call to Tim to measure scale lengths on glued-up harp. Five minutes later, the relief at the realisation that the slightly smaller scale lengths have not changed anything and actually made my string design better. Phew.) They’ll arrive some time in the new year (pics of them too to come!) but I won’t be installing them for a while yet…
– Harp is being sanded and shaped as we speak, more sanding and oiling (to bring out the grain) to come tomorrow. The deadline is early Jan to finish the sanding, varnishing, artwork, and installing the feet, medallion and bridge pins. We’re then going to do the eyelets and zither pins and strap together, and then it should be ready to take home and string up. Eek!
I know Tim has pictures, but getting them off him is a trial sometimes…will post the pictures of all the bits and bobs for the new string design next week.
January 2, 2015 at 12:40 pm #184743MemberSUPER EPIC MEGA PICTURES UPDATE!
Prepare to be blown away/bored to death from the sheer volume of beautiful pictures I have for y’all. Seasons greetings and all that.
Tim decided it would be easier to fit the top of the soundbox to the pinblock BEFORE glueing it onto the soundbox and having to reach up through the soudbox to screw it in. So this is the bit of the pin block where the top of the soundbox gets screwed in:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0021A-800×600.jpg…and the top of the soundbox with the screws in place:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0022A-800×600.jpg…and from the other side:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0023A-800×600.jpgThis is the chalk-fitted bit of the pinblock about to be glued up:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0024A-800×600.jpgGlued-up harp!
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0026A-800×600.jpgFrom all the angles:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0027A-800×600.jpgand more:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0028A-800×600.jpgThis is Tim shaping/sanding what Stoney End call “the knee area” of the pinblock. Who knew a harp had so many body parts…this is the bit that’s glued to the top of the soundbox.
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0031A-800×600.jpgAnd this is what it looks like all sanded and smooth.:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0032A-800×600.jpgFrom the side:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0033A-800×600.jpgThis is Tim sanding the top of the pinblock:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0034A-800×600.jpgOiled and varnished!
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0035A-800×600.jpgand some more…
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0035B-800×600.jpgThis Tim putting in the bridge pins and making sure that they are all the same length:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0037A-800×600.jpgThis is them all in:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0038A-800×600.jpgSideways sideways view of the whole thing:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0039A-800×600.jpgRight way sideways view:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0040A-800×600.jpgSideways sideways view of the other side!
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0041A-800×600.jpgAnd another:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0042A-800×600.jpgOK, this is an exciting bit. Custom artwork! I drew it in inkscape, and Tim has copied it onto the soundboard in pencil. He will then (if he hasn’t already) go over it in ink and varnish. He put it on in penicl to show me first and I love it. I’m a great believer in “less is more” where instrument artwork is concerned, but i wanted something to show it to be individual. Therefore I have a sparrow for Tim (his surname is Sparrow and he uses it as a logo for his work) and a peregrine falcon for me, which is my favourite bird.
Here is the sparrow:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0045A-800×600.jpgAnd the peregrine:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0046A-800×600.jpgFurther away:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0047A-800×600.jpgBoth together:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0048A-800×600.jpgLast one:
http://www.harpcolumn.com/wp-content/uploads/rtMedia/users/5139/2015/01/IMG0049A-800×600.jpgCompared to that, the strings and bits and pieces are totally boring:) You’ll see them when they go up on the harp some point next week hopefully…!
🙂
January 2, 2015 at 12:58 pm #184744ParticipantExciting isn’t it? Looks really lovely! Stringing I agree can be boring but once she finally has a voice – that’s when I start going “WHOOPEE!”
January 2, 2015 at 1:30 pm #184746ParticipantWow, Mae, thanks for loading up all the pictures! They give a nice picture of all the things that need to be done to make a harp of a kit. The oiled end product does look great!
So, now it is time for stringing, I guess. Please, tell us about your experiences with putting on the strings and getting the harp to hold its tuning. And after that, of course, we would like the first sounds coming out of your brand new harp!
January 2, 2015 at 6:31 pm #184756ParticipantOh Mae, it’s beautiful!
What did you use to do the finish? The walnut looks amazing.
I can’t wait to see it with strings and hear it, too!January 2, 2015 at 6:39 pm #184757ParticipantP.S.- I love your artwork. The birds look great! (It wouldn’t let me edit to add this to my previous post)
January 4, 2015 at 1:44 pm #184791MemberLevers arrived this afternoon! Woop! Now I have all the bits, just waiting for Tim to come round and we can stick all the zither pins and suchlike on. Yay!
I think Tim used linseed oil, it’s what he uses to varnish his violins. I’ll ask him when he comes round…
January 9, 2015 at 8:13 am #184942MemberMinor annoyance alert:
Do you remembering me telling you about the blue .050 strings not fitting inside the zither pin holes (Nov 10th)? Well, I recently bought a micrometer and measured the gauges of all my strings to have them ready for Monday and guess what: All three blue .050 strings they sent me are in fact .055! No wonder they don’t fit. All the other strings are fine. I guess they made some mistake with packaging them somewhere…
I’m thoroughly pissed off about it after the heart-hole…and the medallion… but I sent them a (hopefully) nice email asking for the replacements and we’ll see what they do. They’ve been very responsive to questions I asked them about building the harp and once I reminded them about the medallion it came fairly promptly, so hopefully they’ll send off the strings with their apologies. They seem like decent people who are just a bit overloaded but I’m British so I hate making trouble even though it’s their fault. I’m really not trying to make trouble – you can’t even buy that string in the UK (the nylon availible here is in very limited gauges in very limited colours and this ent one of them).
Gah.
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