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Sorry, harpist123 and ChrisH. I just realized you were not the original questioner. Please ignore my questions about identifying the problem, etc.
Charles Nix
Don’t know if Biagio will see in time, so here goes from our perspective. Organbuilders cut the washers with arch punches. We also have a standard pre-punched, pre-drilled part called a “leather nut” which is exactly what is used on harps. Any nearby organbuilder can get them for you. Be prepared to give an outside diameter, and ask for flat, not rounded, leather nuts.
If you want to make them, I don’t see why square wouldn’t work. We have arch punches for 3/16″ to 4″ in every size they make, so making round is much faster–if you have the punch. Square should work.
Use an appropriately sized twist drill to make the hole. If the leather won’t drill, then it is too soft for the purpose. You need proper “belting” leather. (All belts are not made of “belting” leather.) The drill will make a hole smaller than its diameter in the leather. You need to experiment with drills to get a snug enough fit, but not too big. You will probably need a numbered 1-60 drill index to find one close enough, though you might get by with 1/64″ increments.
Be prepared for KF strings–they do not behave or string like gut does. They will stretch and stretch forever–when they finish stretching, they will be extremely stable, though. Whether you like the sound is up to the listener and the specific harp.
Also, leather washers do not eliminate the need for a string “toggle” in the knot for 3rd octave and up (or maybe as low as 4th octave C). And leather washers will only solve specific types of breakage problems.
Did you ever identify the problem for sure?
If this is a rental or is still under warranty, be SURE a string change to KF is acceptable to them. People can be very particular about that.
Charles Nix
I have heard many recommendations for Anderson also.
In my case, my homeowner’s company wrote a declared value, no deductible, all risk, any location rider for much less premium. But you need to be careful that a homeowner’s rider is actually comparable to what Anderson is offering; not all riders are that all-inclusive.
Charles Nix
I have seen some where the handle was dipped or brushed with red or blue paint. There is also a tool handle dip available in red or blue.
Small silicone o-rings are available in colors also, and can be slipped over the handle. They have the advantage of being easy to move. I use green ones on my lever harp to mark the occasional g# or d# that must be changed instantly when there is no time to find it.
Charles Nix
Interesting, Biagio. I recently restrung a carbon fiber harp–light-medium tension, nylon strings. A few months later, the harpist had several strings break–one, then another, then another. We talked, and I took it back in the shop.
What I found was the string rib was a little collapsed into the back of the soundboard, and the string grommets were a slip fit into the hole. Under tension, the grommet was tilting sideways (because the soundboard/string rib is not solid) and the knot pulling into the edge of the grommet. Every knot was cut right at the loop.
I epoxied the grommets to reduce the tilting–and put leather disks on every string to hold the knots away, just as is usually done with nylon/nylon and bass wires. Haven’t had a broken one since.
Charles Nix
If that is your goal–the harp you want is the one that you love
to play/practice on–whether that harp be old, new, lever, pedal, small, or large. If you don’t love it, it will be that much more challenging to practice. Harps sound different. “Identical” new harps sound different–and they will change further as they age.You also need to be able to reach all the strings and pedals–AND to be able to move it by yourself. If you are small, or young right now, and can’t move a CG or reach to play it, what you may need in the future is a moot point.
This harp is unlikely to be the last you will ever own because your musical needs and ability will change.
What does your teacher suggest?
Charles Nix
Since that is a UK manufacture, maybe someone at Clive Morley harps will have the information? Or you might try Bow Brand themselves?
In the US, Vermont strings (or Robinson harps or North Shore Strings), or Markwood strings might have seen one before–though it would be much more likely that they would have a nylon chart than gut.
The chart may be a simple as “lever gut” gauge, in which case you could cross reference to the BB pedal gauge rather easily–but the c’s and f’s would get you in trouble–the wrong strings would be colored. The lever gauge is roughly a fifth lighter, if memory serves.
As a further choice, if you can find someone who has a factory-strung new model, you could measure it. Or, it is not too hard to calculate a stringing chart for a harp from scratch, especially if you have an assumption that most of the existing stringing is correct. On a string spreadsheet, noticing the “outliers” is easy.
Charles Nix
It would be helpful to specify which computer platform you’re looking for. There many on each platform–but not always the same ones.
FWIW, I use Lilypond with Frescobaldi. No GUI–you type in the note letters/pitches you want. But I can type far faster than I can use a mouse. A 16-bar lead sheet hymn with chords and five verses usually takes me 10-15 minutes tops. And the scores are drop-dead gorgeous, even complex scores rarely require adjustment to look “right”. Items on top of each other are extremely rare.
BUT–It is a full music typesetting programming language–and there is a steep learning curve……
Chris, if it is a new harp or a rental, definitely call the shop. They need to be involved, because it may be a warranty issue.
The soundboard and string rib are fairly thick–so it is important to differentiate whether it is breaking at the knot–or at the soundboard. There can be a rough spot at the knot on the inside of the harp, but if the grommet is rough, it will break at the grommet, which is up away from the knot, and will leave a broken tag end on the knot piece.
What kind of knot are you tying? Regular “bunny ear” harp knot? Camac style with wood dowel? The kind that starts with an overhand knot? Are you using a reinforcing bar? Some are stronger than others.
“Replacing several strings” in “several months” sounds like a lot of breakage.
Charles Nix
I made the board. Rollers are just standard non-rotating casters. I probably got them from McMaster-Carr supply company, who has an online catalog.
The board might need to be different for different vehicles. Caster location is important for balance. I only put casters on mine because I have a tailgate/bed gap to get over: by having casters spaced out, I can always have one or two sets on solid metal.
I have seen boards without any rollers that worked just fine into the back of a hatchback station wagon type vehicle. You can also have just a small heavily padded board to go under the neck/action only. Lay the neck down on it, then lift the base up, and roll the neck in, setting the edge of the soundboard down on a folded, thick pad.
Charles Nix
Why don’t you put the harp where you will be encouraged to go to practice? Or where you will face fewer distractions?
Bright and dark, in themselves, have no relation on humidity. Definitely get a decent humidity meter, though. I don’t know where you are, but for people in most of the US, with air conditioning, high humidity in the summer is not a big problem. What is damaging for most of us is low humidity in the winter.
And, be concerned about the sound–you have to hear the nuances of what you are playing. How can you correct technique if you can’t hear the difference because of the room?
Charles Nix
Perhaps it should be emphasized again that harps and guitars are very different in one respect: If you put any commercial gauge guitar strings on any modern guitar, you are unlikely to break the guitar, assuming you respect the steel/nylon divide on guitars.
Increasing tension on harps can, will, and does break them — and it is usually a catastrophic, expensive failure — either the soundboard or neck breaks.
Harps can be and often are designed very close to the breaking strength limits of the wood. Carl can tell you how many harp soundboards he has seen break within a very few years of being new, and that is using the strings for which they are designed. I have, myself seen several, from reputable manufacturers, that blew soundboards while under five year warranty. Wood is a natural material; its ultimate strength is variable and difficult to calculate.
It is possible to calculate string tension; how much tension the harp will stand is guesswork and experience. That is no reason to not experiment –and it can be a lot of fun — but don’t be surprised if you break a harp — be ready for the consequences. If you think custom strings are expensive, try a soundboard replacement or neck repair.
What are your goals for learning to play? If for yourself–have fun. But, if you progress, and continue without a teacher, you _will_ learn habits that will sooner and later impede your further progress. Then you will have to start over, unlearn, and relearn.
I also have to say, I’m not sure why you say you think you are not smart: your command of grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure is excellent.
Learning to improvise is not bad; not reading music is not bad. But if you ever want to be able to play something you have not heard you will need to read music. If you want to play anything from classical harp repertoire, you will need to read music. For anyone who can write English as well as you do, reading music should come along fine with some instruction, work, and practice. It is far easier than the grammar of any spoken language. Also, it should be said that at every level of study, there is available music which is more complex than one can read and play. Reading music is all relative.
Can you find a teacher? There are lists available on Harp Column, and American Harp Society, and several other places.
So, back to the beginning: What are your goals? Where do you want to go with harp playing? What kind of harp music are you interested in playing? For what audience? Those questions may help.
Hope I’m not stating the obvious, but why not just send an email to Triplett and/or Lewis Creek and ask the builders?
I far prefer tapered, personally, for ease in adjusting pin tension independently of pin depth, and not having to screw out exactly the right number of turns before installing a new string to leave the string angle correct.
But, to each his own. If you prefer threaded, maybe they can oblige.
Charles
Darhon Rees-Rohrbacher has an arrangement in The Liturgical Harpist, vol 1, in the Lenten Hymns section. It is arranged to be playable on lever, but there are a fair number of lever changes. I don’t know which harp your daughter plays. Most of her arrangements are fully Intermediate level; this one is somewhat easier. I think Afghan Press is now the distributor for these arrangements–and they are uniformly excellently well done.
Most everyone is familiar with J.S. Bach’s harmonization, which has altered harmony and equal rhythm, and I’m assuming that is the one you’re wanting. However, the original Hassler tune was half note/quarter note rhythm, with much simpler harmony. If you have an Episcopal Hymnal 1982, the original can be found at #169, and it is playable pretty much as written, probably with some damping needed. (Bach’s version is at #168 in that hymnal).
Charles Nix
