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String Tying Woes

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Home Forums Forum Archives Amateur Harpists String Tying Woes

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 31 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #159181
    Kay Meek
    Participant

    One of the clear strings on the highest octave of my harp broke and so I took out the correct string from the little bags of replacement strings that came with my lever harp. I went to a website where there was a PDF file showing how to tie the string on a toggle and then thread it through the little hole, then onto the peg.
    I all looked so simple that a child could do it.
    My fingers kept getting in the way of the knot, I kept dropping the little toggle stick and had to hunt for it on the carpet numerous times.
    Finally I ended up with a wad of knotted string 1/3 inch thick, but at least the toggle was secure. I cut off what I thought would be enough string to go through the hole and tie onto the peg. It was too short and wouldn’t hold to the peg. I burned the end of the string so that it wouldn’t slip through the hole, but then the string was too short to wind onto the peg.
    So, I had to start over. Well to make another disastrous story short, it’s now 3 hours into the project, I’m out of the string, have sore fingers, and totally out of patience.
    This little string looks so much like a classical guitar 1st string, which is

    #159182
    dawn-penland
    Participant

    I think you just need more practice.

    #159183
    Barbara Henniger
    Participant

    Take a look on the Sylvia Wood site and they have a great video.

    I can relate to what you are saying because it took me a couple of hours to tie a string the one and only time I did it. The video is a lot easier to follow and they show 2 ways to tie the string.

    #159184
    Audrey Nickel
    Participant

    When I had this issue a while back, someone gave me some great advice.

    #159185
    Karen Johns
    Participant

    I tried the little bead method myself, and hated it. One of them actually split in half and fell off when I pulled the string taught. Others caused a buzzing sound. I use leather washers in addition to toggles. You can purchase the leather washers from Vermont Strings or just cut some of your own from a thick piece of leather. They work great for me.

    Karen

    #159186
    Audrey Nickel
    Participant

    One other bit of advice:

    Make the knot BEFORE you cut your string.

    #159187
    Audrey Nickel
    Participant

    Oh, and no…I wouldn’t use guitar string.

    #159188
    michael-rockowitz
    Participant

    As usual, I certainly would defer to those that know better.

    #159189
    catherine-rogers
    Participant

    Many years ago, the 3rd octave D on my first (lever) harp kept breaking. I ordered another one but in the meantime took a string that looked nearest the same diameter off the family ukulele (I kid you not!) and used it until the new one came so I could practice. As soon as the new string came, I put the ukulele string back where it belonged and installed the new nylon string. The harp, the ukulele and I all survived without damage.

    By the way, as soon as I ordered a complete set of strings, it never broke again. Maybe the harp was trying to tell me something–be prepared?

    #159190
    jessica-wolff
    Participant

    You mean I’m not the only one who has trouble tying harp strings? Whoever said it’s just as easy as changing a guitar string is wrong.

    #159191
    tony-morosco
    Participant

    Oh, believe me, I have cursed and sworn at more harp strings over the years than I can count.

    Like anything else, experience makes it easier. After numerous restringings of multiple harps over the years I can do it in my sleep now. But I still remember the frustration of fighting with the strings and knots.

    When I do replace a string I actually don’t cut it until it has actually settled in so that I can make adjustments to the number of windings as it stretches in case I gave too much or too little of an end. You can tell when I just changed a string because you can see the loops of extra string hanging about for a few days.

    #159192
    sherry-lenox
    Participant

    I agree about not cutting the string for a few days and my teacher does the same thing, at least on her Prelude.
    They look like a bunch of very musical porcupines at times, but it does ease the pain of getting to the end of the process and finding you have to start again from scratch.

    #159193
    Tacye
    Participant

    I suggest to students that the broken string should be used to practice tying the knot until it is under their fingers before embarking on the real thing with a new string.

    #159194

    Once you have pushed a new string in the 3rd through first octaves, out

    #159195
    jessica-wolff
    Participant

    Is gut easier to tie than nylon?

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 31 total)
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