Wood for building harps?

[paul-garton]

Hi all, this is my first post. I was wondering if anyone knows of a place in the UK that I can buy wood for making a harp? I have made a kit one before and I am in the process of refurbishing a cheap harp thats been battered and bruised and needs a new sound board because its sooooo dull sounding. But I would like to make one completly from scratch but can only find wood in sizes of guitars or violins no bigger. I would assume I only need tone wood for the soundboard and the rest of the harp would just be any wood I can get in a larger size. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[Tacye]

Pilgrim made me a soundboard and might be worth talking to. eg http://www.pilgrimharps.co.uk/Clarsach-Soundboard-Not-Tapered/flypage.tpl.html
The guitar or violin wood might not be too small if they are the right wood (are they quartersawn?) as the induvidual bits of spruce in a soundboard are not large – it is made up of strips about 3 inches wide glued together. For the rest of the harp you will need wood seasoned considerably better than normal, most wood you can get is unlikely to be up to the job.

[patricia-jaeger]

Paul. you could ask Heather Yule, prominent folk harpist in the U.K. that question. Her father made wonderful folk harps.

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