Wire harp question for Bernhard & Liam

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This topic has 25 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 5 months ago by Liam M.

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October 21, 2009 at 12:26 pm #159884

Liam M
Participant

You just reminded me. I found a source for Finnish Aircraft Birch at a reasonable price. How thick was your soundboard and was the thickness tapered at all?

However I have just about thrown up my hands to find a source for a blank hardwood block I can carve out in the traditional manner!

October 21, 2009 at 11:23 pm #159885

Karen Johns
Participant

October 22, 2009 at 12:53 am #159886

Liam M
Participant

1/8″?

October 22, 2009 at 1:07 pm #159887

Karen Johns
Participant

October 22, 2009 at 3:02 pm #159888

Liam M
Participant

OK Went there… I knew there had to be a rib…. I have an interesting board I am testing now. It’s 1/16th birch ply laminated to .020 bronze sheet. The bronze is “peeled” slightly from the sound hole and wrapped up to provide a “Shoe” for the string, protecting the string and the wood. The sustain is still far longer then the wire/wood soundboard combination…. However, it is not as “Bright”. Perhaps I can brighten it with a harder box? Or a epoxy finish on the inside of the box?

My assumption is the brightness is enhanced by reflections from hard surfaces. I cut glass pieces to fit inside the box of my jig and I believe I heard a difference. (I am haunting ebay & craigslist for a spectrum analyzer!!)

October 22, 2009 at 9:21 pm #159889

Karen Johns
Participant

You are referring to brightness in sound, right? This is very interesting! The wire material itself lends to different sounds, as we have already discussed, with steel seeming to have won in the brightness area. I’m not sure if an epoxy finish will help, what it may do is cut back on the sustain if it inhibits the vibrations in the soundbox. Not sure what the harder box will do though. We need Michael or Bernhard to chime in here and lend their opinions. I know when I’m in way over my head, but what a fascinating subject -you

October 22, 2009 at 11:54 pm #159890

michael-rockowitz
Participant

Liam,

You seem to be still experimenting with the acoustical physics of the harp, using a simplified model (your jig) to try different soundboard/string combinations, including soundboards of metal, and hybrid metal/wood soundboards.

October 23, 2009 at 1:10 am #159891

Liam M
Participant

Michael,

Guilty as charged!! I do apologize… I have been saying I was taking a camera down to the shop and just leave it there on a tripod while I work… Then I forget and each time I set up… I wind up switching to another configuration before I run up for the camera… then I am off on something else… BUT I have just taken the camera down to the shop, So I will provide more pictures!

October 23, 2009 at 1:14 am #159892

Liam M
Participant

Karen, I have asked… (But perhaps not the right person?) … if we could even have a separate forum for builders and experimenters.

October 23, 2009 at 12:38 pm #159893

Karen Johns
Participant

Hmmm…perhaps if a few of us try to get

November 7, 2009 at 4:38 pm #159894

Liam M
Participant

Back on the road and I am afraid my shop was hijacked for a science fair project… We experimented with different Hull Shapes in a test tank

But I have some exciting news, I found a BK 2120B Precision Oscilloscope in an auction and it should be here when I get home from this next road trip.. Heading to upstate Mississippi, fly into Memphis and drive over..
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