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It all boils down to several questions really:
How much is one willing to spend?
Will the harp be protected (usually) from the elements?
What range does one desire?
Will a single be fine or does one wish to a double strung for the greater flexibility?
Probably a few I’ve overlooked?At the instigation of my teacher I just designed a single course 22 or 23 with the lowest string C two octaves below middle C. No one makes anything like this but I’m a baritone: stopping at the mid with tinkly treble as so many small harps do really bugs me:-)
The down side of course is that it has to be relatively tall in comparison to others – about 38-40″ versus about 28-32″ for other travel/therapy harps. That’s life!
Hee hee,
BiagioI forgot about the Harpsicles – some people like them others do not. With apologies to my friends at Rees if tone is a major criterion, the bass in the standard string set is quite loose. If you go that route spend a little more and get the higher tension wound set.
They are light and their new levers are really good – I was one of the first asked to evaluate them. You see used ‘sicles for sale all over the place; be sure if you get one of those that the levers are the new ones. Earlier they had Robinson levers which are OK if price is a big issue but the Rees are much much better.
Biagio
A good soft case might also be a consideration. Dusty Strings provides a case for their 26 string harps with optional back pack straps, so their Ravenna 26 with drop-down support leg would be another good choice.
Biagio
With current airline restrictions it is difficult to make a harp that will fit into the published overhead restrictions, although sometimes the restriction may be waived.
That said, and with tone as a priority over price, I would suggest either the Sasha or Raphael from Harps of Lorien, or the Triplett Christina. Some people have opted for a small double strung: two decent designs are the Stoney End Brittany and the Blevins Cameo.
Biagio
Just to add: I do agree with Wil Weten – if at all possible rent a harp first and decide later what to buy. I’d go with the Ravenna 34.
Biagio
A couple of other thoughts to consider:
There is a (sometimes rather long) learning curve to playing any kind of harp; technique is vital. Doubles are for the most part similar in technique to singles, a cross is a different beast. In either case it is best to learn the basics (at least) from a teacher and there are fewer teachers of the cross.
You can do a lot more with a double strung than a single course harp, although in my observation many double strung players don’t take full advantage. This is not an obstacle though: it is not more difficult although some will tell you that it is.
There is less music written specifically for the double than for the single and even less for the cross strung. I happen to live near (and study under one) of two master players of the double and cross respectively: Laurie Riley (double) and Harper Tasche (cross strung). It might be helpful to visit their websites and see what each has to say.
Finally there is the financial question: you may find – and probably will – that down the road you will want a larger and better instrument. A double may be easier to sell than a cross, depending on where you live. On the other hand, for a fully levered double those little sharping devices are almost half the cost of the instrument!
I know of one student who started right out on a double strung 23 string (in fact, I made it for her) and after three months she’s doing great. So great in fact that she just bought a Rees 2×29 as well.
When you first start to learn the harp you may not for a long time be concerned with accidentals – just learning good technique is enough for quite a while.
All this said, I personally would buy the double strung and not even fully levered. You can always add more.
Biagio
Speaking of harp shops: check out this photo tour of Dusty String’s shop by my friend Peg Coats:
http://dorveille.com/2013/02/09/a-photo-tour-of-dusty-strings-harp-making-facility/
Then compare their setup to that of Dave Thormahlen
http://www.thorharp.com/pages/ourshop.htm
or Rick Kemper:
http://www.sligoharps.com/btlh.html
These are all master craftspeople but their shops would not be more different.
Biagio
Of course that is preferable and if the model and strings are production that should be the case. However with a new design or (in this case) “re-design”….strings continue to stretch, necks flex, the measured length may not have been accurate with respect to the string when it is wound (which is the most frequent reason).
Most winding machines pre-stretch the core but the string maker will usually wind to vibrating length plus an inch. If the pin is closer than typical to the peg (about 1 1/2″) – oops. On a double, one side’s VL may be a half inch or so greater than on the other i.e. the bridge pins and Z pegs do not directly face each other; rather, one side is higher. If they faced each other the neck would have to be 2” thick – wow, heavy!
And so on. You can see where I’m gong with that. If you’ve made the same model in production over and over again this is less likely to happen; and you have probably pre-drilled for levers too. First model made – there will be “errors”, guaranteed.
That, by the way, is why some shops will not mount levers for three months after the harp has been first strung and tuned, even for a model they often make.
Biagio
I don’t hear much, if any difference, tone-wise. Given a choice I’d probably go with thinner core thicker wrap with the idea that it might be somewhat less likely for the wrap to break at the bridge pin. On some specific harps I’ve use fiber bedding as well -NFN – for the higher density and fine tuning (in lieu of fiber core silver wound)…. but these strings are too short to be worth the cost of either IMO.
Thanks so much for starting this thread! It’s stimulated a lot of ideas for me.
Biagio
Yup grommets=eyelets in Biagio-speak. Yeah it’s a funny thing, I can’t think of much I just order off the net, it’s almost all by phone or email. Savarez Alliance Strings and sometimes a good deal on eBay that’s about it.
Actually the personal touch pleases me – so many people in the harp world have become friends that way.
Biaigo
It’s probably a pretty fine point, I was just playing around with my own design for a “C one side G the other” and swapped out string lengths to compare. In any case we know that with those baked in string lengths, one or t’other is probably as good as it’s going to get. Can’t fight physics:-)
A thought did pop into my cranium this morning though: Gary may not have provided large enough sound board grommets. On the C side you’ll need large sized ones from C at least up to A.
Almost there – this is the fun part, waiting to see how it sounds after all that thought and work. And it’s not even Christmas yet!
Biagio
And now the G-G side:
0.025 Nylon
0.025 Nylon
0.025 Nylon
0.028 Nylon
0.028 Nylon
0.032 Nylon
0.032 Nylon
0.032 Nylon
0.036 Nylon
0.036 Nylon
0.036 Nylon
0.040 Nylon
0.040 Nylon
0.045 Nylon
0.045 Nylon
0.045 Nylon
0.050 Nylon
0.050 Nylon
0.055 Nylon
0.055 Nylon
0.040 Nylon Nylon 0.01
0.040 Nylon Nylon 0.013He’s baaaaaaack….
Mae, hate to be a wet blanket, but it occurred to me that the bass C-C might be really slack so I went ahead and ran an analysis. Yup. they’re way down in the teens of %Tensile, I’m afraid they would be very thumpy. Up to you of course but I’d substitute the following if possible:
0.036 Nylon
0.040 Nylon
0.040 Nylon
0.040 Nylon
0.045 Nylon
0.045 Nylon
0.045 Nylon
0.050 Nylon
0.055 Nylon
0.055 Nylon
0.055 Nylon
0.060 Nylon
0.045 Nylon Nylon 0.008
0.016 Steel 8 Nylon 0.008
0.016 Steel 8 Nylon 0.01
0.016 Steel 8 Nylon 0.01
0.016 Steel 8 Nylon 0.01
0.018 Steel 10 Nylon 0.01
0.018 Steel 12 Nylon 0.013
0.018 Steel 12 Nylon 0.013
0.018 Steel 12 Nylon 0.015
0.018 Steel 12 Nylon 0.02I order from Vermont Strings and usually run this kind of thing past Joan and Skip Lamere.
Keep on plucking!
BiagioKudos Mae, that was a lot of work!! I have only a couple of comments….
A couple of the C-C bass strings will be pretty “fat” but if you’re OK with that, fine. My short little fingers would slip off, with other players it does not seem to be a problem. I think I wrote earlier that I prefer a steel core for that reason, but no big.
Music Makers stocks Z pegs with over-size holes; I go ahead and pay the price because enlarging them myself is a pain. Be sure that the edges are nice and smooth when you get them or make them. I just hate it when a nice wound string gets cut!
I LIKE the idea of a C-C/G-G combination so you’ve inspired me to do one too. My private response to Laurie’s remark was “So?” But she’s my teacher and is used to Biagio-The-Experimenter:-)
Thanks and be sure to tell us how you like it when the dust has all settled!
Biagio
You should be able to tell from the remaining strings whether the originals were gut or nylon. That will make a significant difference in what you require. You will also have to determine what you need for that missing peg; I’d assume a #5 taper but hard to tell that or the length from the pic. I believe that Laurie at Markwood Strings also carries hardware; I know for sure that Robinsons Harp Shop does. Robinsons is my string maker (specifically Vermont Strings) and they also have oodles of models on file. Both Markwood and Robinsons are excellent, more than happy to talk.
Biagio
