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Senior moment…I should also have said that there is not law that you cannot put gut on a nylon strung harp or vice versa – IF either you or a professional string maker makes the necessary analysis. I have even seen a few lap harps designed for nylon changed over to brass. Honest.
I love that deep cello-like bass in the Merlin but find the range a bit monochromatic. Dusty makes lovely harps and personally when a begginner asks what to get for their first I always suggest (after a teacher) the Ravenna 34. On the other hand some very beautiful lever harps are made by smaller shops – Sligo (Rick Kemper), Timothy Harps (Tim Habinski), Harps of Lorien, Fisher, Lewis Creek,David Thormahlen and that’s just the US….some of these folk will build to spec at little more cost than their standard models.
I’d say look around if you have the time and do not neglect the used harp market. For example, one member here got a brass strung clarsach recently at a wonderful price; I recently saw a lovely Triplett Eclipse for about half price. I currently have a gorgeous Clark Model A I would LOVE to find a home for – grin. And so on.
Too many harps too little time, huh?
Biagio
There are so many variables when it comes to non-pedal harps…the type of string is only one of many that affect the tone. For example, both harps mentioned – the Merlin and Boulevard – have an aircraft grade laminate soundboard: 5 plies per 3mm. That sounds different after a few years from a spruce or cedar board. Pedal harps are a different world as they are at far higher tension than the Merlin and frankly I would bet the Boulevard is not as high as some concert instruments.
Now that that is off my chest LOL…here are a few generalities, some fact some just opinion; staying with lever harps:
Nylon and fluorocarbon – both Savarez Allianceand Acquila Nylgut – stretch more than gut. Savarez in particular takes forEVER to stretch in. Once stretched in, in my Pacific Northwest climate they hold pitch much better than gut. How long these last depends not only on tension but climate, string angle, type of peg, pin and lever, how they are played. All are physically more durable than gut – usually!
If you like the gut tone but live in a humid environment, Acquila Nylgut or Savarez Alliance is probably your best bet. I have nylon on the first octave and SA down to about 5th C on one of mine, wound strings below that. That harp is very nearly at concert harp tension and I replace or break those nylon trebles much more often.
Hope that helps!
Biagio
Really lovely Allison, no one would guess you had only been playing this harp a short while! Love the tune too – one I do a lot. I like to do a little medley: Baloo Baleree for putting the kid to sleep, Bonny at Morn for the wake up. Nice simple tunes really sound good on a wire!
Biagio
Indeed, and an American company, Heartland Harps, now sells a pedal harp made of carbon fiber, only about 40 lbs./18kg. I’ve heard good reports; that might be an option for someone who is disabled.
Biagio
Elletaria, my take on strings: silkgut has the tone and to a large extent feel of real gut to me; fluorocarbon made by Savarez Alliance less so and a bit brighter in tone down to 1.01mm diameter. Below that they are multi-strand and feel more like the real thing. Different people will have different takes on this.
I does not take much to throw a string out of tune; I’m wondering if that crack may be the culprit. String tension tends to pull the sides in so some slight “give” at the crack may be the problem. I gather that this is one that has been loaned to you; it may be easily repaired though.
There are lots of books for Celtic music – I particularly like those from Kim Robertson. A really good introduction to techniques and ornaments would be the DVD “Secrets of the Celtic Style” by Laurie Riley; you can probably find both over there.
Dwight Blevins (Blevins Harps) makes something he calls LeStik that many like as an extension for a smaller harp. A bit expensive it seems to me, but the principle is easy: it is simple a nicely shaped board that clamps in a sound hole. If the harp has a base with a lip the Stik may have to be custom made.
Biagio
Ah Pat that is an excellent question and unfortunately I do not have a ready answer. There are three options: ask around harp restorers, try to find a Clark that is dead, or make them. The latter is what I had to do and while it is incredibly boring it is not difficult.
Lyon & Healy used to make the Clarks too and it is just possible that they still have some blades; I know that they have a few of the ivoroid string pegs.
To make the blades you have to cut the blade and shaft out of a bar of 0.090 brass – a Dremel with carbide blade is probably the easiest way to go. The shaft is then soldered into a 0.35″ brass sleeve; then that assembly slides into a stainless steel sleeve. The steel sleeve is notched for stops and peened or riveted to keep the brass sleeve from sliding out.
All of those components are easy to find (though outside the US they will be metric). If you know an accommodating jewel smith she or he could probably do that more easily and with less swearing than I did. Just take along one of the good ones for a model.
Good luck!
Biagio
Adding to Dona’s comment…in favor of the Barunwen, it seems to be designed with the “celtic” player in mind; many of the tunes from Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man and Brittany are played in the keys of G and D. Quotes since there are other Gaelic speakers – Celts – who favor other keys.
Biagio
Hi Kasey,
That is a nice dilemma to have! I would choose the Voyageur and specify the “performance” strings, with gut in the mid range.
I have not played the Braunwen but most of the other Stoney Ends, I have. So I would expect it is similar quality as the others. Which is good, though I prefer Music Maker’s construction and would really want that lowest bass C.
Several teachers like the Voyageur for their student rental Harps.
Biagio
This has been such a wonderful thread; a big THANK YOU to all who have contributed…but most especially to Mae for opening it and creating something really special!
Gosh I love harp folks!
Biagio
Manufacturers do strive very hard for consistency, not only for the player’s benefit but at least as much for efficiency in production. That said, age makes a very noticeable difference given the same model (ignoring the high density laminate type boards). As the board ages under constant tension it will deform (plasticize) with an increasing depth of tone. At 20 years old it is probably approaching or at it’s prime. Brands new, still good of course, but no where near optimal.
This begs the question: why do used harps sell for less than new ones? I’ve never quite understood that except for the obvious – eventually the board will either break or tension must be lessened. What “eventually” means is dicey; the good news is that if a harp has been well cared for it is not hard to restore if that becomes necessary.
Biagio
Biagio
Alan, if that was in this thread…..
What the strings are made of has an effect on how they will sound, all else being equal. So too will the tension and playing technique. With a good amp, an acoustic will just be louder, but most amps also have equalizers built in so that is not entirely true, just a generalization.
Harder strings produce a brighter tone than softer ones – of common materials nylon is hardest, then fluorocarbon, then gut. But please don’t confuse hardness with strength or density – that is a different issue.
When we get down into the wound strings it get’s trickier. In order to get as close as may be to the upper register tones we have to play around with the core, bedding and wrap, and that’s a whole other topic for some other time.
Biagio
Wil, you were right as far as I can see – most if not all of the diameters are smaller on the double than on the single. One must guess at the wound strings in the bass, but it’s a good bet that they are also lower tension on the double.
String lengths however are the same for both so it’s the smaller diameters that reduce overall tension. To keep the same tone they could have beefed up the sound board and made it wider, instead of lowering the tension. But as a production shop with all their jigs and fixtures set up that would not be as efficient to manufacture.
Incidentally, using through pegs is a major reason that doubles weigh so much more than singles. Zither pegs cut down on the weight but they are not reliable above about 30 lbs. so you have to reinforce the hole down in the bass.
Another trade off!
Biagio
Wil, I haven’t looked at the Dusty 2×26 recently, but I seem to recall that the double is about 200 lbs. lower tension per row than the single. Much as I admire those folks, I have to say that they are very conservative. No wire strungs, no cross strungs, it took forever before they started using Camac levers as alternative Lovelands….one can understand why of course.
Stoney End has the strings converge very close to each other at the board so they can use just one robust string rib; and of course that yields more vibrating surface. Rees and yours truly space them parallel to each other – about 2.5 inches apart – and use two thinner ribs. I can’t speak to William Rees’ reasons, but on mine I do that because I think it is easier to see and play; and hopefully eliminates potential buzzes at the strings’ knots.
I don’t recall what Dusty does there but I’d bet on two ribs – the strings drop (almost) straight down as does the Rees.
Biagio
Wil, tone is largely a function of the string selection and sound board vibrating surface so the answer is “yes up to a point” but you’re right, there’s a trade off in a small harp. You just can’t get away from physical limitations. If a harp is designed specifically for one purpose, it can often be adapted to another, but something may very well be sacrificed.
In Dusty’s case, they use the same frame (essentially) as the standard single 26, with slightly lower tension. On a double though, the area between string rows is acoustically dead so that part of the tone is lost.
In Rees case the box is shallower and the board wider than the Dusty; Dwight Blevins in contrast to both uses a lighter board….and so on.
My standard rental 2×23 is about 6 lbs. but being designed also for travel and to fit a large suitcase the board is only 8.5 inches at the bass, so the tone is OK but not “rich and full”.
I made a custom version with higher tension and wider board that sounds in all modesty just great. But it also weighs more – maybe 10 lbs. The point being (if there is one) that both of those models were made specifically as doubles.
Here endith the lecture (grin).
Biagio
