muted sound coming from one string

[mike-c]

Hi, I’m a newbie with a decent pedal harp from a well-known maker which I bought used. It’s about 15 years old, and mostly in great shape.

However, while tuning I recently noticed that my 2nd octave A string was “muted”. Although the tuner said it was in tune, the tone didn’t “ring” or carry when played. Since I’m new to stringing, I inspected how I tied the knot, and sure enough, since it was my very first attempt at stringing, the string had no tie in it. ( I think that’s what you call the extra string segment you insert into the knot, if not I apologize ).

First I attempted to use the same gut string and redo the knot, this time correctly inserting a tie. I know that might not be the best thing to do, but since I have no place to buy strings locally that’s what I did. I tied the knot correctly using a tie, and it still sounded poorly. I looked in my goodie bag, and found a new nylon string of the right note and octave. Even after installing the brand new string correctly with a tie, the sound is still muted, like it’s in a jar. It doesn’t ring and carry like the notes around it.

Looking at the top of the soundboard, I see the plastic grommet ( not sure what the proper term is) that the string goes into is rough and scratched, not smooth like all the others. It’s like someone tried to twist it with needlenose pliers, that same effect that it would cause. However the “grommet” doesn’t feel loose, and I checked when I installed the new string if there was any loose chaff inside the string hole, but it didn’t seem that way. Does anyone have an idea why I’d get a dull, muted sound in this situation ?

Thanks,

Mike

[Sam Karlinski]

Hi Mike,

Firstly, the “tie” is usually reffered to as an “anchor” and the “grommet” is just simply reffered to as an “eyelet.”

Well, my first response would have been that you have a false string, but the fact that you changed the string completely (to a nylon, especially – nylons don’t tend to go false, while guts do) indicates that the problem could lie elsewhere. If the muted sound only occurs when one or both of the discs is engaged, then the disc is likely the culprit. However, if the muted sound still occurs when the string is played open, the two places to examine are the eyelet (like you did) and the string nut, the metal piece that the string touches between the top disc and the peg. I suspect that the roughness around the eyelet is causing the odd sound, but its worth examining the nut as well. Its probably a good idea to visit a technician, if you can get one/afford one, especially because you’re new.

~Sam

[john-strand]

Yes, my first thought is how the disc is grabbing the string – how does the string sound change when you change the pedal position?

[carl-swanson]

Mike- Is the string ‘muted’ in all three positions? Flat, natural, and sharp? Or just in one position?

[mike-c]

It’s just the natural position.

[Sam Karlinski]

A regulation should fix all the problems. It probably needs a new disc, and it shouldnt be harmful (maybe to the string…) to continue playing with it. I really doubt that its a problem with the pedal mechanism, unless its a really old harp or its not old

[carl-swanson]

Mike- Since this is happening only in natural position, the most likely reason is that the back plate screw is too loose and is not pushing the spindle hard enough against the front plate. If you tighten that back plate screw a little(try one or two full rotations, then push your thumb against the C natural disc and make sure it still springs back when you push it) that should brighten up the sound.

[marilou-smith]

I’m having the same problem with a lever harp.

[Author]

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