Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Thanks for letting me know, wil-weten.
It’s a pity we can’t tidy up a conversation here by deleting excess comments no longer needed.
Thanks for your thorough reply, Biagio. Interesting, informative and important in this context.
I am aware that the stringing prosess is really a matter of ‘mathematics’ and ‘science’ and that an amateur with fishing line can’t manage to match a professional standard like this. That’s not my aim either.
But as an amateur solution, in lack of any other way of solving the paki-problem, I think I have found a tolerable and creative way of making some of these unfortunate harps quite a bit better, and in spite of all; – playable.
My own private harps, on the other hand, are highly professional instruments, I am very picky when it comes to sound. 😀
Hi wil-weten,
Agian – thank you so very much for you help. Very much appreciated!
And concerning my grammar faults: english is not my mother tongue. So I hope I am understood and excused for not writing perfect english. 🙂
A couple of corrections on my writing errors:
1) After having experimented over some time on several types of these harps and lyres…
2) …able to be a start-up consultant and practical assistant for newbeginners.
Wow – thank you, wil-weten! 🙂 What a nice surprise. 🙂
Yes, I would very much like that, you can copy and post it here, if you like. I haven’t got a copy of it myself. Or perhaps you should send me a copy so I can post it myself? Is there an inbox system here?
It got deleted when I made an editing of the message. I submitted the edited version and suddenly it was gone and I couldn’t get it back. Next time I write a longer comment I should take a copy before I post it. Lesson learned. Thanks for your help. 🙂
Hi Biagio,
I use the fishing line Soft and Strong by Climax, and it works well. I just wrote a long message here, but it suddenly disappeard, I don’t know why. But this is my short version answer. 🙂
Hi Biagio,
Thanks for your reply. I have tried only a few different fishing line types, and ended up prefering Soft & Strong by Climax.
It’s color is white/blanc (not green or blue pink, and I use a marker for the red C and blue F), and it is really soft and strong, which I prefer when working with paki-instruments (I fix instruments for others too).
And of course, It’s cheap, meaning I can afford to experiment a lot without having to pay for expensive harp strings, which normally are better (exept for the one’s that come with the pakiharps, they’re really bad; hard plastic, sounding ’empty’ like ‘cardboard’).
With the fishing line in differen mm-sizes I get an even tension that is pretty much alike for all the strings, making them keep the tuning well and sounding harmonious and pure. I have actually been surprised by how well this works concerning it’s a cheap solution, not professionally optimal. But for hobby players it’s good enough concerning the price.
I love to see newbeginners get their harp dream fulfilled when they get a cheap, nice looking and good enought sounding harp in their hands. Their gratitude and the smile on their face is priceless.
Some of the smaller, newer and better pakiharps can actually function ok with fishing line strings well adjusted on them. After having experimented over some time one several types on these harps and lyres, I have learned enough to be able to be a start-up assistant for newbeginners. It brings a lot of joy.
If the line gets too thick, over 1,20 mm, they don’t give very well sound. But from 0,40 mm and up to 1,20 mm (perhaps even 1, 40 mm) they can work.
The thinner strings break easier, of course, that goes without saying, but when I adjust the size to the string distance and tension, and try out different solutions, I always end up with a result I can live with.
It just takes time. I have to let the instrument stand for a while, play on it a lot and see what remains steady and what doesn’t. Then I do changes according to the need. After a while I’m content.
Hi Biagio,
Concerning Muzikkon. I once bought a small lyre, with a historic biblical design, from them through ebay. I wrote to them and asked where it was produced, and the answer was – in Pakistan. It was their design, they said, but they had them made in Pakistan.
So, your hunch isn’t that far away from the truth. When I see harps from Muzikkon I think they look a lot like pakistani made harps, so I suggest they really are. The instruments from Muzikkon may be better than the more easier recognizable harps that we know are made in Pakistan, but I don’t know that. They certainly look like they could be better, but looks can deceive, so one only knows the answer by actually trying them out and seing for oneself.
As to the small lyre, I am content with it. But it’s not an expensive instrument and I bought it mostly just for fun, not to use it a lot. I also put new strings on it that give a better sound. For that purpose, on cheap instruments, I use high quality fishing line in different millimeter-size. It works great, actually, even on the pakistani harps. Almost anything is better on them than the strings with which they come. Fishing line is softer and keep the tuning better.
Hello Manon Thuillier,
I just read your question about your ‘pakiharp’, and I have a good answer for you. Yes, they can be improved, and I will tell you how and what I’ve done to make it happen.
As you may have understood, these harps are hardly real instruments, they are more like toys or nice exhibition objects because they look nice. I have come across a few of them on my path, and when people ask me if they should buy one I normally say; – no, it’s a waste of money.
But this summer I have experimentet on some of those harps and ended up with surprisingly good results. I have removed all the strings they come with and put on a whole new set of strings made of nylon fishing line in different millimeter-sizes.
I use good quality fishing line, they are soft, strong and give a sweet, sharp, nice sound, in addition to being very cheap. The string color is white/neutral and for the red and blue strings I use a marker. It works just fine. The sound gets radically enhanced. The result is far better than with the horrible strings they are sold with.
I have done this on pakiharps with 12 strings, 22 strings, 29 strings, and even on one with 36 strings! My experience is that the bigger models with 29 and 36 strings easily get twisted in the neck, partly perhaps because of the deep bow in the middle of it, and I don’t recommend bying any of those because of this trait. But I have done the stringing job on them for others.
But the smaller ones with 12, 19 and 22 strings keep their frame position well (in my experience this far), don’t get twisted, and make really ok beginner’s lap harps with the new strings of fishing line. They keep the tuning well, sound well, and bring a lot of joy in addition to being very beautiful and cheap!
There are different models and types of pakiharps, and some of them have levers that really don’t work at all. On one of them the levers wouldn’t move at all, they were stuck in one position, impossible to get up and down. Remarkable that they can sell products like that. I tried to repare them, but ended up removing them and painting over the marks on the neck to make it look nicer.
Levers are ok only if they will move, of course. And if they do, and they aren’t that precise when it comes to the tuning, one can ajust the string a little bit to make the string in tune. But playing a 22-stringed lap harp without levers isn’t a bad thing, I’m used to it and find other ways of getting modes and scales.
Another thing is that when I put new strings on them, I start the lowest string on G, instead of C. This way I get good base chords for the playing, which I really like and prefer. A 22-stringed harp tuned from G to G is perfect, in my view. I’ll rather have that than tuning from C to C.
As a matter of fact, I am very satisfied with my experience whith these stringing jobs, so much that now I even recomment buying one (the three smaller models, on condition of me exchanging the strings on them), for newbeginners who don’t have much money and don’t even know if they will be good players, who just want to try it out. For about 300,- dollars/euro’s/pounds you can get an ok 22-stringed pakiharp that with new fishing line strings will potentially bring a lot of joy.
I just helped a friend, who has no musical skills whatsoever and works in kindergarden, to get a 12-stringed pakiharp. I put on new strings that I tuned pentatonic for her. She doesn’t intend to be a good harp player, she just needs this tiny instrument to sooth a disabled child she works with. And she loves it!
Manon, it’s been a year since you wrote your question and I don’t know if you still have your pakiharp. But if you do, and if you would be interested in my assistance on how to replace the strings and perhaps make your harp playable, – I would like to help you with it. You can send me a private message and we can exchange contact information on how to talk on skype or messenger (I live in Europe).
And if there are others reading this who would like to have my help in this regard, just send me a private message. An unplayed pakiharp standing alone in a corner is an unhappy harp. It needs a little TLC, and ‘voila!’ – perhaps it may blossom and bless it’s frustrated owner for the first time!
