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Hard to see how KF would be almost 1/2 the tension as Tynex at the same lengths and frequencies! Be that as it may, it is obviously up to you. That’s the fun!
As to the frame: to repeat. the box is 6mm baltic birch ply, the neck-pillar 3.8cm thick.same as the Dusty Ravennas. It does not get much lighter than this.
Rest well, and think about it – that’s fun too.
These all look OK to me, I’m just kind of wondering why you want to go through so many iterations, when I gave you a perfectly good string design already? Not that I’m bragging but it works ha ha. It is small and compact: I play it lying in bed for goodness’ sakes. From waist to shoulder I am 58cm; if you are shorter, just prop up higher in the pillows or slide down lower:-
OK it would perhaps be 2cm taller than what you posted but geez, not THAT much. If you want it narrower just drop that treble A. Or, heck, don’t leave room for bridge pins and levers (which I did) which will make it even shorter by about 4cm. If narrower you could make the spacing smaller, like your Ardival. My design is spaced at about 1.27cm – make that 1.1cm like the Ardival, then your fingers won’t have to relearn:-)
If you want to keep things really simple….cut out two ‘L’s from about 2cm baltic birch ply and clamp/glue them together. Then just cut out the combined neck-pillar part – piece of cake. Make the two string ribs from some of the scrap 3mm Finnish birch SB material: tapered from 2.5cm at the bass to 1.25cm wide at the treble.
Really, my friend, I think you know all that you need to know at this point except perhaps for minor construction details. Any good wood worker can fill in the blanks. Try to bear in mind that you are not building a big concert quality thing, just a decent sounding small double.
I’m all for players building at last one harp and, yeah, I could draft a full scale model but – my goodness – I’d charge you billable time for that which would cost more than the harp!! Plus I don’t want to; my back hurts, hee hee.
I hardly think it is worth that for you, honestly:-) You know what you’re doing, I think.
Look at what others have done; perhaps, if you want more input, join the Harpmakers Yahoo forum….
Have fun in any case!
Biagio
Look: first decide on your string design, then dither about wood. Ash, beech, elm, maple, cherry are all fine. You have a design spread sheet which does the math for you.
Decide on your string design first (he said for the nth time). I don’t have time to analyze this but would question the range you chose (F to d) from a musical standpoint. Why not a bass G or C?? Think about what music you will be playing, not just about what are available. If you are going to that much work it is better spend a little more money.
Also those treble strings will sound tinkly and feel pretty thin.
I admit that Rick’s Waldorf is larger than it needs to be – that’s just his way, he’s an engineer. Look rather at how he puts the box together. Even that could be simpler. Here’s what I do on something like this, once I’m happy with the string band:
1) Lay out a template for the box facing up to get the angles for the top and bottom blocks. A typical one would be 85 degrees at the bottom and 95 at the top. I think a wider SB and two ribs spaced 5cm apart gives better volume and finger room but that’s up to you.
2) Make a fixture the length of the box so you can clamp the top and bottom blocks to it, centered. Then just cut and glue on the sides.
3) Glue in liners on both sides to give more glue surface, back and front (this assumes thin, 6mm sides).
If you have drafted your templates carefully and transferred them accurately to the wood that’s the only “hard” part.
KF is higher tension than nylon at the same length and frequency – higher than gut in fact, and on a harp this size will not sound any better. But if that’s what you want, go for it.
Don’t get ahead of yourself!
Biagio
Well, frankly if someone has never made a harp before I’d suggest keeping things as simple as possible. So I’d make both rows the same and all nylon a la that 23. I estimate that cost me only $200 US at most. After you are comfortable with putting ideas into practice, then experiment with more exotic ideas.
Just a few general thoughts Elettaria, since your design is more or less in the beginning stage:
– The cardboard box is strictly an acoustic chamber on something like the Waring; the thick central rib takes all the strain. So make sure that rib will not split.
-Study Rick Kemper’s plan for his Waldorf harp to see how easy a simple harp actually is to make. Then modify it to suit for size, as a double if you want, and so on. As a double, your builder might make that neck-pillar joint simply by using pocket hole screws, since the torque is the same on both sides. Or just stay with a butt joint but put a reinforcing patch on both sides. If middle-schoolers can make the Waldorf, so can you (or your friend). http://www.sligoharps.com/plans
– When you pluck one string on a double the adjacent one will sound as well and the fifth is one of the harmonics. Hence my suggestion. You could choose any other interval of course, but it might not be so pleasing to your ear.
– Real wood is of course nice but for a first try you might make the whole thing out of good quality plywood: baltic birch for the box and neck-pillar, Finnish birch laminate for the SB. I’ve made several like that: the box sides were 6mm thick ply with maple liners, the NP two 18mm pieces glued together.
Biagio
If (and it is a fairly major “if” ha ha) one wishes one side higher (or lower) than the other it seems to me most sensible to make the difference a major rather than a minor.
So that leaves you with a sub-dominant (4th) dominant (5th) or god help us an octave. Of those three I would suggest the fifth as the most practical. Just be sure that the two sides are at about the same tension. That would be for a fairly small harp – say 23-26 strings per side. Any larger and your levers will do the job with a lot less design trouble.
Biagio
I have not read “In Good Hands” nor studied the Wanderharfe, but there is a lot of study and research of the harp’s history and it is pretty fascinating. If one includes what we now call the lyre – all the way back to the Golden Lyre of Ur at least, 4500 years ago.
Speaking of the Clarsach Society, on their website they show a pictorial history of known harps from all countries.
Tacye’s right – North America has been a very recent entrant in the overall time and scope of the harp. In fact, if I were asked to point to a single person who galvanized recent interest in the non-pedal harp it would have to be Alan Stivell of Brittany.
We are however discussing here (or were) the modern levered double strung. Liz and Laurie both had played the triple but felt that was somewhat limiting.
OK, my friend, I don’t want to get into an argument. We both know that the gut strung harp has a long history in Scotland. That is not what the Clarsach Society says about themselves, though, it is pretty much about the wire strung:
https://www.clarsachsociety.co.uk/clarsach-in-modern-scotland
Whatever…I began making harps for myself and a few friends in the 1990s;ironically nowadays I get a request for a double several times each year. “ironically” because I sold all my tools LOL. –
True,Tacye and the Morleys and Clarks were pretty common too. But to be clear: I should have been more specific. Just to quibble…the Clarsach Society was and still is focused mainly on the wire strung harps, which rarely have sharping devices. Yes, the Society’s views have expanded to include lever harps beginning in the 1970s…which rather proves my point, I think.
We can debate whether Californians like Bolles, Truitt, Robinson, Witcher, Caswell (1970s) deserve credit in the USA and how much; personally I’d suggest it was considerable.
L&H was making Clarks, Troubadours, and Folk Harps; Douglas and Fey the Dilling harp etc. But really, I think it is fair to say that the average American had (and some still have) a mental picture of a pedal harp when they hear the word. The modern double strung harp has only been around since Laurie Riley and Liz Cifani came up with the idea in 1990.
Not very long ago! First they had to persuade luthiers to make them, then doubles had to be seen and heard to catch on, and I seems to me that is really only beginning.
Not that it matters, really, except that I see more interest in doubles over the last five years, and that was my point. Of course, that could just be me ha ha.
A number of factory qualified technicians regularly travel around the country – doing such things as regulation and pedal adjustment. While they may not be able to do repairs on-site, they will know who might in your general area.
Here is a list of L&H Guild members – or call Lyon and Healey directly.
Biagio
I’m glad you chose a double, Evolene. A little anecdote:
About 35 years ago I was up in the town of Mendocino, California and what did my wondering eyes behold but two people busking outside the coffee shop – playing lever harps. Who were they? Laurie Riley and Michael McBean.
Back then lever harps were basically unknown outside a small group of mainly California folk musicians. Indeed many had made them or a friend had, and by today’s standards they were fairly simple – often blades instead of levers. I do recall that even for 10+ years after that sighting, there was a general feeling that lever harps were toys, or at best something “before you graduate to a REAL (aka pedal) harp”.
The point being that like any innovation, it takes time for general acceptance, and I do believe that this is happening for the double. Hope so anyway – I just wish that the wire strung would catch on next:-)
Biagio
The costs do indeed vary depending on location and vendor – in the case of Ogden vs. Boulevard, they vary greatly. I’m quite astonished. In the US the Ogden sells for about $3200, the Boulevard for $2895. Quite a difference!
Not to be pushing the BV but I note that it is somewhat shorter than the Ogden and weighs less. Whatever.
Biagio
Hi Gail,
It occurred to me that the Dusty Boulevard gut strung (which I mentioned earlier) might be a better choice for you that the double Lorraine. It has gotten rave reviews even though it is pretty new on the market, and the price is very tempting.
https://manufacturing.dustystrings.com/harps/browse-models/boulevard-34
They are clever folks over there at Dusty Strings: the Boulevard is essentially the same body at the Ravenna34 (they probably beefed up the SB and neck a bit). Frankly, if I wanted a nice portable harp at concert tension as “harp number two” I’d look at this very seriously!
Best wishes,
Biagio
