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To even take a guess, I’d want to know more…..
What kind of harp?
Gut strings?
Is unused room heated or cooled?
Humidity?
Near the coast?
In the desert?1 decade, 8 decades?
Anything _can_ be fixed………..
You’ll adjust. People change harps–it never took me long to adjust.
If you intend to keep playing both harps, you may have more difficulty, especially if the octave distance (string spacing) is different, or the distance and height of the harp away from your body are different–at least that is where I have the most trouble.
But changing from one to another only took me a couple of weeks to adapt and feel comfortable.
That’s a good idea–if OP has a pair of vise-grips. The jammed strings I’ve see are usually jammed so tight that the pin won’t turn either direction, and the pin spacing won’t let a big vise-rip get in there.
But, it is worth a try; the pin is already ruined regardless, so burring it up won’t matter.
@talfryn: THANKS for that note. It never would have occurred to me that someone might even try that. You are absolutely right: getting oil soaked into the wood fibers of the neck will likely ruin it for good.
Nylon will last longer than gut, but it will also change tune more when the humidity changes. Nylon absorbs almost 10% of its weight in water. If the humidity is always high, that would be no issue. In the southern US, we have times of near 100% humidity, and times of very low humidity, and nylon is always a tuning issue.
I don’t have data on how much water the nylgut polymer absorbs from the air. However, you should be able to get a gauge chart for nylgut from the Bow Brand website. They sell the same material under the name silkgut.
FC strings _are_ higher tension _if_ used at the same diameters and length as gut. Generally a harp restrung in FC uses slightly reduced diameter strings, which, if done correctly, will result in no more tension. Depending on which brand of levers L&H used on your particular Prelude (not knowing its age) some lever changes may be needed so they will correctly fit to the smaller diameter. And, a regulation will be needed.
Note, however, that nylon strings are generally _larger_ diameter than gut at the same note, so that the tension is maintained the same. Nylon is less dense than gut. The above advice about possible lever changes and needing regulation applies equally to changing gut to nylon, but in the opposite direction. A photo of the levers would help us know and advise you.
Don’t be hard on yourself–it happens. If the string is jammed tightly against the neck, the only way I know to repair is to cut the string, unwind it backwards off the pin, TAP the pin out with a small hammer. It won’t take much force with no string tension on the pin. Be sure you have a hand on the other side to catch the pin. It will come out and fall all at once, and you don’t want it to hit the soundboard.
Then get a new pin the correct length _and_ diameter. That will probably have to be mailed to you, however, tapered pins are standard sizes. Precisely measuring the large diameter, small diameter, and length will allow you to cross match from Aoyama or Salvi, or someone closer to you than L&H. If mail from the US gets to you easily, however, you could, of course get one from Lyon and Healy.
Now, regarding the string: you may choose to leave it alone–but it will likely be a long time before 5A breaks on its own. Each wrap around the pin corresponds to about one finger’s width of string length. You need 2-3 wraps on the pin after repairs. If you have 6 or more wraps on the pin now, it _might_ be possible to cut the string at the _knot_ under the soundboard, repair, then reknot and have enough string length to reuse the same string. You should know it will be very close at 6 wraps, and you’ll have to tie a short knot at the soundboard end for it to work. I’d recommend a figure-8 knot very close to the end, if you decide to try it.
Not sure if this will work out, but I am sure that you can not reuse the string if you cut at the other end.
When you do have the pin out, carefully clean and examine. If the pins are actually rusting or corroding where they go through the neck, you might want to think about replacing all the pins with some with a heavier plating. That is only a problem if the rust is causing the excess friction. There are even pins available made of stainless and titanium.
One further thought: with year-round high humidity, you probably go through a lot of gut strings. If you talk with L&H, perhaps they have worked out a safe restringing schedule for fluorocarbon. At the same tension, fluorocarbon will be smaller diameter, which may involve lever changes, depending on which brand of levers you have on your Prelude. Yes, it will also change the sound brighter from the smaller diameter, and the harp will have to be reregulated, but fluorocarbon absorbs very little humidity from the air, and retains its strength in high-humidity environments.
There are two parts: first, determining why it happened, then repairing it. It is hard to tell for sure, but the photo looks like you have a lever harp built at pedal tension, like a Lyon and Healy Prelude or Salvi Ana. Is that correct?
It also looks like the tuning pins are quite corroded, with rust showing in some places. Is that correct? Is the harp in a damp location, or are you on a seacoast?
The most common cause to break a pin is that the string is wound around the pin all the way to the neck, wedging the pin so that further movement only makes the problem worse. That would be on the other side of the neck from your photo. Is the 5A wound up tightly to the neck?
With some of this information, we can help you get it properly and safely repaired.
I can’t remember ever analyzing a stringing for _any_ harp: pedal, lever, light, heavy, or whatever, that did not have a major tension change going into wires. The material densities and tensile strengths and “best sounding” % of breaking strength are simply too different, when adjacent notes are almost required to be nearly the same length for any practical neck design.
There is always a sound change at that point because of the material used, as well.
Nylgut is not nylon, but a different polymer. Nylon is _less_ dense than gut. Fluorocarbon is _more_ dense than gut.
In practical terms, at a given tension and pitch, a nylon string will be thicker than gut, a fluorocarbon string thinner, and nylgut about the same. The thickness not only affects the feel, but also the regulation, as you have noted.
Artist Nylon cannot be redesigned to be the same thickness as gut, because it would then be at too low a tension to properly energize either the harp or the string.
As another twist, nylon, gut, fluorocarbon, and nylgut each react differently to humidity in the air, changing pitch different amounts. They also stretch differently, sound different, and have different lifetimes.
Well, one can’t really tell about knowledge level. If I knew a lot of details about the screw size, etc., I might be able to guide you through it.
Since a harp technician is unlikely, how about a general luthier? Anyone who does fine guitar or violin work could do it. Even a woodwind technician. Or a pipe organ builder. Or a good piano technician (look for someone with the RPT certification, not necessarily just a tuner). Maybe call the local orchestra office, contact some of their players and get a recommendation. I’ve looked through the pipe organ builders (my day job) that I know, and the closest I’ve come is Ft. Worth.
The only unusual thing about harp levers, compared to other wood items, is that they are frequently attached with machine screws into the wood neck, instead of wood screws. It works because the maple is so hard, and the screws are often fairly long. But all that also makes sizing the hole before threading the screw in very exacting. I’d be glad to help anyone you can find locally.
Charles Nix
PS: I just had a thought: we used to work for Greg Pysh decades ago when he served in Tennessee. I’ll email him on your behalf and see if he has any suggestions. He moved from here to be Minister of Music at First Presbyterian Midland, and I think he conducts the symphony also now. Will let you know what I find out. Please send me your email address to cnix at bargerandnixorgans dot com. This is getting rather too much like a personal conversation; don’t want to pollute the forum readers!
Fixes are easy for someone who knows how–but it can be hard to write how to do it–especially without knowing your experience with woodworking.
I don’t know from memory what L&H used for screws, so let’s start there. What is the screw size? Machine or wood? TPI? Length? Head style? Part of the reason for asking this is also to have some idea what your experience level is. Chances are if you don’t know immediately what I’m asking that your best bet is to find a harp technician–or another musical instrument technician who works with wood and small screws.
On to the general fix. You will need several tools: a drill motor and a drill index number 1-60, round birch toothpicks, wood glue, and a 1/4″ very sharp chisel. The problem likely is that if you had all that, you probably wouldn’t be asking the question. It is not at all a difficult repair, but getting a good repair that will hold without damaging the harp finish takes skill.
How are you feeling about taking on the repair yourself at this point?
If you’re uncomfortable, let’s talk about where your are, and who might be available in that area to do the repair.
- With the lever off the harp
, will the screw head bottom out into the hole provided? Is the screw too large, or the hole too small, or does either have a burr keeping the screw from seating.
Also consider that when you screw directly into the harp you are seating the screw threads more deeply than when the screw seats onto the lever. Perhaps the hole is stripped out in the upper part, and you are simply engaging more threads when the screw goes straight into the harp.
Does either of those sound right? It would be easy to tell if I were feeling it and looking at it.
Not to be a smart a**–but of course it weakens it–you knew that already, or you wouldn’t have asked. Whether it weakens it enough to matter or not depends on how thick the soundboard is, how big and deep the dent is, and where the dent is, and how much string tension you have. Any attempt at repair/strengthening will stiffen the soundboard and change the sound of the harp.
The question that jumps out at me is “why have you had three soundboards already?” Over how long? Were they each damaged? If the design is simply too weak to begin with, has that been improved with each iteration?
The second question that jumps out is if you are using a rubber coated tuning key. That’s not a sure prevention, but it helps.
There are ways (steaming) to raise dents in wood. It won’t help with the strength, though, only the appearance. It is critical to know what the finish on the soundboard is, and how to touch it up afterward. It is not for an amateur to attempt.
There are several harp technicians on this list. Good photos from different angles showing the details of the dent will help greatly.
If the structure is fine, it is fine. There is unlikely to be enough tension lost from 10 strings broken — and I’ll bet they are all guts and mostly toward the treble. Most of the tension is in the wires and the lower guts.
Also remember, the harp didn’t have strings when it was being built.
For an authoritative answer, contact Teifi with which strings are missing.
The harp should be priced below a comparable instrument
- if the comparable has been recently restrung and regulated
Compared against another harp with old strings that just haven’t broken yet, I don’t see any difference in the value. Both would need restringing before you can even see what they really sound like.
I wouldn’t trust spare guts that have been stored improperly; I’d start with a full set. Teifi can get you info on the proper strings–don’t guess or assume–or you may really have structural problems.
Regarding replacing strings, I would suggest you find a harp technician (or Teifi) and have them teach you restringing (demonstrate/watch/guide while you do it). It isn’t hard, but it sounds more complicated in writing than it is to do.
@biagio: Amen! Buy used, rent, buy new, but find a teacher and a harp and start playing. Don’t sweat finding the perfect harp–because there is no such thing. If the harp isn’t working for what you end up wanting to do with it, sell it on and get a different one. Even from new, the depreciation is the least expensive part of owning a harp. (if you consider strings, regulation, teachers, music!)
