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Don’t feel bad, you weren’t to know.
The people here are really happy to help; you might wish to begin another thread telling us some details – your budget, type of harp desired, location etc.
Best wishes,
BiagioI suppose it depends on what kind of harp is being considered but I will say that the margins for any good harp are slim for the builder as well as for a dealer. Cost of materials, overhead, labor and supply/demand keep a builder’s margin pretty low. For a lever harp maker such as Dusty Strings I would guess 10%-20% profit margin. They certainly would not give anyone a discount except in unusual circumstances e.g. on a prototype or an “orphan harp” like the one they made for Martha Gallagher.
Which brings up another question: what kind of harp are you looking for? If you have not played for a long time it might be best to start out with something like Dusty’s Ravenna 34 or Musicmakers’ Voyageur. There is a ready second hand market for lever harps if you later decide to grade up to a concert (pedal) harp. For that matter if you might consider a Musicmakers kit if cost is a real worry and you can handle some simple wood working tasks.
Some individual luthiers in the US have made these when requested; the one I recall off the top of my head is Rick Kemper (Sligo Harps). I would start there with him to get an idea of what one might cost and who else might be willing to do a custom harp for you. Can’t think of any who produce them regularly.
Or of course a performing artist who specializes in one or both of these would know.
I think you should discuss this with your teacher. Some teachers want the student not to deviate from the assignment. Others might encourage you to try different things if you are bored and feel that you have mastered the assignment. All my teachers have suggested a set time period (every day) of 30 minutes to an hour divided more or less as follows (hour example):
Warm up and exercises – 10 min.
Work on assigned piece – 20 min.
Review earlier pieces – 20 min.
Fun/improvise – 10 min.Natch the time amount is flexible – maybe one is busy and only has a few minutes between chores so you can split it up. The main thing is to play at least a little every day. If practice is boring or onerous something is wrong….we do call it “playing”, after all:-)
Rees levers may be ordered from Robertson’s Harp Shop http://www.robinsonsharpshop.com/
They cost $11 the last time I looked.
What Charles said. All Truitt lever screws are Torx size 6; you can get a driver at most good hardware stores.
PS it is helpful to know a few things…first, although the size of monofilament strings affects tension it does not affect breaking point, which may seem counter intuitive). But (secondly) a thicker string in place of a thinner one or vice versa will not sound as well as the appropriate one.
So the “lesson” is that if a string breaks and you do not have a spare, choose the next closest size. This does not apply to wound strings of course.
Stoney End lists the string set for the current Lorraine model and it is unlikely that yours will be much different in the treble range. For that one, the B is 0.028″.
It is likely either 0.028″ or 0.032″ diameter (nylon), probably 0.028″. Either will do but if you want to be sure, check with either Markwood Strings or Robinson’s Harp Shop. Both will almost certainly have the specs in their files.
Good for you Tanyanoeel! I think you will find this is fun as well as instructive. Here are a few thoughts hat occurred this AM.
Finishing: There are several that you could use. Musicmakers suggests (and sells) a polyurethane gel but I don’t think it is any better than what you can buy in any hardware store for less. Top end makers usually use lacquer and it drys quickly but has very noxious fumes. If you like a rubbed finish look you can use a product called Tru-oil gun stock finish which is what I use. It dries quickly too without fumes – you just wipe it on and sand very lightly between coats. Three or four coats will do it. I don’t use it on the sound board but spray that with Deft lacquer in an pen air space.
Camac levers: Many people love them. I have never installed them myself because a) I don’t want to buy metric bits; and b) I prefer Truitts anyway. Note that you may have to fill and re-drill bridge pin holes since your kit’s holes are already per-drilled.
I would encourage you to download the free string analysis Excel worksheet provided by Musicmakers since you are doing this at least partly to learn about harp making. Deciding on the strings is the first step that makers take so why not learn a little bit about that too? MM gives all the information you need to fill it out (vibrating length and composition); for further commentary Rick Kemper (again) does an excellent discussion. You can get the spread sheet here: https://www.harpkit.com/harp-string-analysis-spreadsheet.html
By all means start a new topic with further questions and updates on your progress! You also might consider joining the Groups-io Harpmakers forum and/or Groups-io Harplist. No cost but one must be “approved” to join – mainly to weed out scammers who seem to think that harp makers/players are easily scammed. Beats me why:-).
Cheerio,
BiagioGetting back to the original question:
As my friend Balfour noted (little pun there) it will be about a month before strings are fully stretched in and the SB has stabilized so I suggest taking the time to research both different lever types and how to mount them. Since you already have a fully levered harp and a pedal one your experience with them should indicate to you how many to put on this one eventually. So, not knowing what music you will play or why you are doing the kit…Fs certainly, maybe Cs too.
A related question: why did you decide to build this from a kit? If it was for the experience of making a lever harp you might consider mounting levers yourself rather than paying someone. This is not as difficult as some believe, with Truitts, Rees or Musicmakers’ universals (Lovelands are a pain). Granted, it is time consuming but if you paid me to do it (for example) I would charge $40 per hour so to fully lever a 34 string harp; that is about $225 (assuming 10 minutes each) on top of the lever costs.
Sure it will look better with a full set but looks aren’t everything. In your shoes therefore I wold plan on just Fs and possibly Cs for now and mount them myself for no other reason than the learning experience. Here’s a brief rundown:
1) Determine the approximate sharp point by multiplying vibrating length by 0.0558. Mark that length with a Sharpie below the bridge pin.
2) Slide the lever into place and test for accuracy by engaging the lever. String tension will hold Truitts Rees or Universals in place while you mark and drill for the holding screws. Note: Betty Truitt advises using a hand drill but I have had not trouble with an electric drill. I don’t even tap the hole unless the wood is very hard e.g. maple.
3) Start in the middle to get some practice, say the F below middle C. After doing a few it goes quite quickly. Frankly at this stage in my “career” I don’t even measure and mark since I have a very good idea of where the levers should go after one or three are in place.
Rick Kemper (Sligo Harps) gives a thorough description for Truitts and Camacs; Musicmakers instructions for Universals and Lovelands. The principles are essentially the same for any lever type.
Happy harping,
BiagioTalfryn’s advice is very good; I would just add a few things:
First, if only partly levered your choice will depend on what kind of music you wish to play. Many “folk” and “Celtic” tunes are in the key of G, C or sometimes D; if “classical” or written for voice, then flatted keys.
Second if you play solo it does not really matter, just learn to transpose.
Third, some levers are more difficult to mount than others. Those that work by moving the string in (toward the neck) such as Lovelands are more difficult to keep in place while mounting them; on the other hand they usually cost less than say, Camacs Rees or Truits.
Last, how much are you wiling to spend? For economy you could choose Musicmakers Universal levers but Rees (sold by Robinsons Harp Shop) cost the same and are better made.
Happy harping,
BiagioHi andibear,
Regarding kits:
A kit is not the best choice for everyone of course; someone does need some minimum of selected hand tools and preferably a power sander and drill.
Although Musicmakers supplies brads to securely fasten the sound board, since these are KITS that may be purchased by novices they don’t recommend using just glue alone (which many professional harp makers do with dozens of clamps). Using a pneumatic stapler is faster if one can rent it and, of course, a compressor. T
That’s what I did on my last since I’d previously sold all my shop tools haha. I’d designed and made perhaps a dozen models and did not think I wanted to do any more – dealing with the public, shipping etc. – I was wrong: just wanted one more for my self.
Off topic but FYI what I did was this: replaced the Finnish birch laminate sound board with one of spruce, customized bass strings and added large sound holes in the floor base. The apartment got pretty dusty (grin). It’s a great harp, though I’d not advise that for most people. Back to the issues:
Regarding levers: everyone has an opinion of their favorite kind; some cost more than others, some are harder to mount, some must be regulated more often, and so on. As a (former) harp maker I prefer Truitts or Rees which are easy to mount and have minimal distortion for my personal instruments. But that’s a different topic. Getting back to my original comment:
You have an advantage over many in that you obviously have a good music back ground. Nevertheless, it can take a long time before a new harpist has mastered technique sufficiently that accidentals are feasible. So if someone is courageous enough to make their own harp or assemble a kit, it seems to me more efficient and economical to just add levers when they are needed. That may not be for a year or more for some, and levers are the most expensive component in making a harp. For example: my modified Cheyenne aside from the kit itself levers cost me about US $600 for a full set (custom strings were $200, spruce sound board about the same): 20% if the total cost! Of course if I’d made the frame and box too that percentage would be even higher.
Sorry for the long rambling post and I do not mean to press you toward buying and assembling a kit. I’m just saying that if cost is an issue and someone has the tools and an interest in how harps are made, they can have a good to great harp at half the cost of just buying one ready made. I can’t imagine that shipping and customs would cost $1800 (the difference between the kit and a Dusty Strings Crescendo). I could be wrong though (grin). Probably the major question is whether they are interested (grin).
Speaking of Dusty Strings: they make some of the best harps on the market and may well have vendors near you – ask them. A fully levered Ravenna 34 is an excellent and economical student instrument.
Best wishes,
BiagioHi andibear,
A couple of thoughts occurred to me after reading your latest….
First, if you expect to at some time arrange for online lessons, why not contact one of those and ask for their thoughts about what harp to get?
Second – indeed, hand position is key but that can be partly practiced without an instrument. My first teacher had me opening and closing the “harp fist” whenever my hands were free: driving, reading, dreaming…it’s pretty simple. Arm down, elbow bent, hand open and relaxed thumb raised then close the fingers one by one into the palm and finally with the thumb down and over (you will see advanced players doing it in other ways but that is the most basic technique).
You need to train your fingers for independence and for strength roll a couple of Chinese medicine balls or even just 2 1/2 – 3 cm diameter fishing weights around in your hands.
Third – I don’t know what shipping would cost but one option would be to order and assemble one of Musicmakers’ kits. They are very easy to put together – even teachers can do it and some use them as student rentals.
There are licensed vendors overseas – just ask the good folks at Musicmakers about that. Also read the assembly instructions before ordering. I’d suggest either the Ballad (light tension) or the Jolie (medium) if a kit seems feasible to you..
PS You will not need levers for some time; when you do they are easy to add later. A comparable harp to the Jolie is the Dusty Strings Crescendo at US $3151 after deducting lever costs. That’s a $1852 difference to the Jolie kit – which would certainly cover shipping and then some.
I do not have any relationship to Musicmakers other than admiring their craftsmanship and having built two of their models. My first floor harp was the Voyageur; my last the Cheyenne (which I modified significantly LOL).
Well I’m not saying that personal instruction is absolutely essential – that rather depends on how far you want to go. Yes indeed, Josh gives wonderful guidance and just carefully studying the techniques of fine players can take one a long way. There are also excellent videos, instructional books and DVDs; here are a few:
Metodo Per Arpa by Maria Grossi (book, in Italian)
Play the Harp Beautifully by Pamela Bruner (in English, books and DVDs)
On Playing the Harp by Yolanda Kondonassis (in English, book)
Youtube videos that I found very useful: History of the Harp (documentary with Catrin Finch), anything by Ray Pool, Laurie Riley on Double Strung Harps (her technique is marvelous although she is demonstrating on the double)The documentary by Catrin Finch is particularly enlightening; by studying that it is clearly evident that there are subtle differences among individuals’ physiques and different kinds of harps, both modern and ancient, and different harp techniques.
I don’t mean to pour cold water on this, but will say from personal experience as well as that of all my teachers and many friends who play professionally that self-teaching can only take you so far, and along the way it is easy to pick up bad habits that are then hard to break.
Many people are self-taught and that’s great but it does take longer than with personal guidance. Some excellent teachers provide instruction via the Internet, so if you run in to problems that is another resource.
Best wishes and have fun!
BiagioA floor harp is certainly preferable if (and I emphasize IF) it is well made. There are several out there that look good, cost little, and are not worth buying. So I think in the circumstances you would be wise to consider a smaller one, preferably with 3 1/2 octaves, but I do not know what may be available to you in Spain.
True, balancing a smaller harp is an issue but there are solutions: a stool or box, a stand that you or a carpenter can make, etc. Some 26 string harps come with legs such as the Dusty Strings Ravenna 26, or an adjustable stand can be purchased separately, as for the Rees Harpsicles.
More essential in my opinion would be to find a teacher, no matter what size you get.
Best wishes,
Biago
