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Home › Forums › Coffee Break › favorite harp wood

Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
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  • July 16, 2009 at 11:15 pm #109366
    Jerusha Amado
    Participant

    Hi all!

    What is your favorite harp wood and why?

    Jerusha

    July 17, 2009 at 12:11 pm #109367
    kay-lister
    Member

    Hi Jer,

    Bulbinga!

    July 17, 2009 at 4:12 pm #109368
    tony-morosco
    Participant

    It depends in what way, looks or sound?

    Since pedal harps are mostly made from maple and veneered with other woods the final veneer doesn’t have that much of an effect on the sound and is primarily cosmetic. In that case I like Cherry and Ebony.

    For lever harps where the many of them are made from the solid wood which has a greater effect on the sound I like Cherry and Black Walnut, but most of all I like Koa. Unfortunately Koa wood is hard to get these days so I don’t think too many harp makers are producing lever harps out of Koa anymore.

    July 17, 2009 at 4:29 pm #109369
    Jerusha Amado
    Participant

    Looks or sound–either is fine!

    Why do you like Koa wood?

    jer

    July 17, 2009 at 5:13 pm #109370
    tony-morosco
    Participant

    The few harps I have heard made of it had very clear and bright tones without being brittle sounding. That combined with the way the wood looks makes for a winning combination.

    I have a few wood pieces made out of it, and I have a copper press print of Maui framed in it. It is just a beautiful wood.

    July 24, 2009 at 4:32 pm #109371
    Saul Davis Zlatkovski
    Participant

    I don’t like red woods. They seem to darken the sound too much. Red spruce, red maple, etc. I just want maple and spruce.

    July 28, 2009 at 9:00 am #109372
    Seoid OC
    Participant

    Does anyone have any opinions on using beech to build a (lever) harp out of?

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