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Try searching for Gwydir harp – I think you will agree it is the same one.
Made it appears in Pakistan, but not from rosewood! http://mikelceltic.en.ec21.com/Gwydir–3597699_5026631.html
A sound clip is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSNc0enpy-QYou would probably get a better result using a lever 3rd A or G – look carefully to see which matches the thickness best. The lever D wouldn’t do any harm, but would be too thin and stand out.
Three trips to put the harp in the car! What are you carrying Alison? I once made it from the car to venue in one trip with three harps, stool, stand and music. Pedal harp on trolley, harp stool and music stand in bag over trolley handles, lap harp straps over harp neck, music in pocket of harp case and lever harp slung over one shoulder…
If you’re going to have mismatched pegs it can be helpful to put the odd ones on the Cs and Fs to help find them for tuning. Someone advised cleaning them by putting the peg into a slow drill and holding against the steel wool or whatever which seems a very good suggestion.
Salopian strings might be able to sell you the right strings or Pilgrim. From my experience of old small harps made in the UK it will probably take something quite standard.
Beginning harp music does not modulate much so some lever harps are designed to make the transition to pedal harp easy – no point paying for pedals when you aren’t going to be using them. Also you can get started on one more cheaply while you take your time to think about this! There is some fine classical music being written for lever harp (Bernard Andres for instance) and many arrangements, but the older classical repertoire was mostly intended for pedals.
The harp can be very ergonomic, if you put enough attention into working it out and have the right teacher to help you. I play with mine tilted only just beyond the balance point so there isn’t much weight on me and it is on both knees – my shoulder is completely free and I can lean back to play the top notes. Blisters on the finger tips can be a problem but if you stop practicing when you feel them beginning they can be avoided.
I asked Stoney End by how much I could increase the tension and was told lots, so I did! It bellied up a bit, but I restrung it five years ago and it still seems fine and being babysat by a friend.
Sherri, I don’t play wire harp now – I played with one a while back. Restrung a Stoney End Eve with brass and did enough playing to feel I had some idea how it worked but soon reverted to gut only as I like it better.
How long do you need your nails for the guitar? I managed to get mine long enough (just) for the wire strung harp while still playing pedal by cutting them at a slant – I play my pedal harp fingers down and thumb up so had the inside corners short and the outside a bit longer. I did cut them all offagain for performing on the pedal harp though!
Ian Firth’s blades appear to have been made by brazing together a piece of rounded brass strip and a piece of threaded brass rod which seems easier than casting them entire.
Tuning pins and bridge pins are readily buyable from harp makers.
I’m sorry but the square box makes me think yours might not be among the more venerable of Morleys. Mine is an ex-Clarsach Society (founded 1932) rental harp and has the round back.
A few more pictures for you!
http://www.scotiaphilately.com/site/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=741
http://www.music.umich.edu/research/stearns_collection/Collection_item.php?id=1058
http://archive.org/stream/simplemethodofle00prae#page/n0/mode/1upAnd another model:
http://metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections/180015447
http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/15565/lot/252/ (nb the brace under the neck)This says it is a Morley, but I suspect a Morley repair putting a new soundbox to an older (Briggs style) neck and column.
http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/16041/lot/452/Firstly, Morleys are still in business and may be able to help with blades from their part box, if that is the way you want to go. http://www.morleyharps.co.uk/
I can’t tell from that picture which vintage or model of Morley you have – they made small harps with blades for most of the 20th century and say the design changed in the 1960s. I am pretty sure that this is a picture of a Morley for instance http://www.raretunes.org/performers/patuffa-kennedy-fraser/
Your harp is not valuable, and anything you can do to make it playable would be fair game. If you are replacing the neck, I would suggest at least 2 ply, use the old one as a pattern and place the blades or levers only after stringing her up. I too have an old Morley in pieces – called Richard III as there was something going wrong with its shoulder…
Do you want the sound of glissandi or fingered?
On pedals I find more than a pair a second (noting one left and right to a pair!) or maintaining that density for an extended period will send me looking for ways of simplifying matters.
How much do you want rhythmic demisemiquavers and how much any arpeggio sound? There are a number of places (eg the start of bar 111) where there are nine note runs which would tempt me to leave a note or two out to accomodate only playing with 8 fingers.
Again on the readability, it would be kind if you tidied up the accidentals too – they make harpists’ feet twitch! Eg the natural on beat 3 of bar 113 and sharps most of the way down the descent in bar 117.
