Question about Crackling Varnish

[jackmclumby]

I just found a used pedal harp I’m interested in buying, but I noticed the varnish along the soundboard is crackled – the harp itself is structurally sound according to the reputable dealer selling it. They confirmed the varnish cracked due to a single night of cold exposure. Does anyone know of any complications that might arise because of this? Other than this detail, the harp looks and sounds stunning, and it seems like a good deal considering it’s only about 10 years old.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

How much crackling? Minnesota harps would crack along the edge of the veneer in their first exposure to cold, but they were fine after. I never saw one entirely crackled. But finishes today may not be the same as they were, just as they were different before the 1980s than when changed.

[jackmclumby]

I’ve only seen photos – I’ll see the harp in person before agreeing to purchase it. But it definitely seemed like the varnish along the entire length and surface of the soundboard was crackled. It’s a Lyon and Healy harp and I believe they use oil-based varnish as opposed to Salvi harps which have polyurethane varnish.

[JackieHarpFan]

Did you buy the harp? My daughter’s harp has similar crackling. I emailed Lyon and Healy a photo and they said it’s not a structural issue and we plan to get them to fix it this summer. 🙂

[jackmclumby]

I did! And I’m very happy with it. The crackling feels subtle and after some research it didn’t worry me as it’s purely cosmetic. I’m curious – do you mind sharing how much Lyon & Healy said it would be to fix it?

[Author]

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