Harp tuning mystery

[Cy Parr]

Help! I am not sure why my Lyon & Healy Folk Harp is going too sharp each day. Daily , when I return to my harp to play it, I have to retune because it is severely sharp! The harp just started acting this way recently.
I put on new Bow brand strings via a luthier last year and haven’t had any problems since. I expect a string instrument to get flat from time to time and need tuning adjustment, but sharp ###??? And not just by a notch or two on my Seiko tuner. The strings are going almost a full half step sharp. The wire strings aren’t affected – it is all of the gut and nylons that are experiencing this and by the same degree of sharpness.

I sure would like to know what may be causing this. I know my harp is over 10 years old and am afriad it is “coming to an end”. 🙁

Thanks for your help

[tony-morosco]

A Lyon & Healy Folk Harp should last a heck of a lot longer than 10 years. I have had one for over 20 years and it is still going strong.

Strings do go sharp. It happens to my lever and pedal harps. It has to do with environmental changes. If you are in a part of the world where it is winter right now, and you are using the heat in your house more, that can cause a lowering of humidity which can cause the strings to go sharp.

Or cold can cause strings to go sharp because it causes them to contract.

If the temperature and humidity is kept constant then you could expect strings to go slightly flat over time even after they have settled in. But most of us can only maintain environmental conditions to a certain degree. Enough to protect the instrument itself from negative effects, but most of us can’t keep the environment 100% constant and stable.

Ever notice that other than while playing the next most likely time that strings break is overnight? It’s because the temperature goes down at night and the strings contract a little increasing the tension.

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