talfryn

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Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 35 total)
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  • in reply to: Clark Harp questions #301742
    talfryn
    Participant

    Hello Gaffanon,
    this seems perfectly fixable, I have no knowledge of Clark harps, I have never seen one here in Europe. But from the photos you show its a typical lap joint, it can be an extremely neck joint strong because all the glue joints are in compression or shear which means the pieces are generally forced together when the tension and twist from the strings comes on. I use almost exactly the same joint on my own self built harps. The joint should be permanent, but it does rely on the correct glue being used. I have a plywood (not the DIY stuff, I use truck standard birch board) neck on my bench at the moment with this type of joint.
    From the photos the glue used orignally on your harp seems to have creeped and lost its integrity, its just environment and age.
    My advice would be to remove all the strings and hardware, carefully noting which pins to which holes etc. Then renove the neck, again not knowing Clark harps, theres probably a bolt or screw at the pillar base remove it and the complete neck assembly should come away. You may then end up with one piece or 2 pieces depending if any of the glue is still working. If its 2 pieces should be straight forward, clean both sides of the joint you need to remove all traces of the original glue, and anything stopping the pieces from mating together.
    You have a choice on the glue used I would use either epoxy or titebond. For repairs I use epoxy, (again not the DIY stuff, I use boatyard epoxys such as West series) the are many YouTube videos for this. Epoxy is fiddly to keep clean with masking etc. but it fills gaps and requires less clamping. For the titebond you have to prepare the surfaces very well and you will need to have a good clamping strategy to hold the parts together whilst the glue sets, you can clean the titebond with a damp rag, whilst the glues open.
    One final thing, be prepared to ream the tuning pin tapers, if youre careful they should line up when you rest the pieces, but more likely than not you will have to reclean the bores, glue has a habit of find way to escape šŸ™‚
    Theres a lot more i could add, but hopefully this gets you thinking..

    Good luck
    Talfryn

    in reply to: Multistring string spacing #296320
    talfryn
    Participant

    Thanks Balfour and Saul,
    I am still researching, thereā€™s a lot of compromises, if I make something which I think is comfortable the soundboard will be very tall. I have built a small model just suspending 6 short strings suspended between a couple of wooden bars to mock up possible string patterns. I am not convinced of a solution yet. Itā€™s a puzzle, how close or far?, dare I go to be able to reach through whilst still being able to comfortably play a triad. Also what technique would the player use to play this type of harp? Where the instrument maker comes up against a limit, the solution is normally the harpists technique.

    I donā€™t really want to invest considerable time and end up building an unplayable instrument. I have emailed a few luthiers but no responses yet.
    So I am still asking questions, to be confident I would really like to contact a harpist who plays an arpa doppia or a triple harp.
    Iā€™ll probably pay a visit to the national folk museum when I visit family in Wales at Christmas. If anyone here plays or has played such instruments Iā€™d love to hear from you…

    in reply to: Building a Small Harp #295442
    talfryn
    Participant

    Wow Brenda, this is really impressive particularly if it the first build. From the photo the joints look really accurate, youā€™ve obviously spent a lot of time on the joinery. Congratulations…
    When you string her up take care to bring it up to pitch gradually, try starting 3 notes below and raise her a semitone or 2 each day…You probably know that anyway.. For me itā€™s the most exciting time when you get the strings on and start to hear the voice, all the hard work and any problems experienced in the build are forgotten when the harp comes up to pitch..
    Well done..

    in reply to: Harp arrangements for old time fiddle tunes? #295087
    talfryn
    Participant

    Many thanks Gretchen, just downloaded it, exactly what Iā€™ve been looking for…i know what I am going to be working on this weekend šŸ™‚
    Talfryn

    in reply to: Harp arrangements for old time fiddle tunes? #295082
    talfryn
    Participant

    Thanks for the advice Balfour and Mocam1993. I have been working on a couple of tunes by ear for a few weeks now and am slowly developing a sound which is a bit more North American than celtic. Playing along to a couple of reels from the Aly Bainā€™s, Jerry Douglas et al ā€œTransatlantic sessionsā€ at low speed on the iPad has helped. It seems to be coming down to which beats to stress on the left hand..and concentrating on developing new habits. Itā€™s a slow process but the tunes are so good itā€™s enjoyable.
    I find that using some arrangements from others speeds up the process. I had that experience a few years back playing around with Tyrollean Polkas and Boarischers. Thereā€™s plenty of this harp played on youtube, but this only got me started, it went faster when I got some harp arrangements from a society in Austria…
    Anyway I am enjoying the change of scenery with some new tunes, but any ideas on arrangements would be interesting..
    Thanks again
    Talfryn

    in reply to: Tuning key #285455
    talfryn
    Participant

    Thank you for showing this. Looking at the picture it showed me an obvious solution to a small problem. The key shown appears to be a handle made to fit a central heating radiator bleed key, itā€™s probably a lot more than this šŸ™‚ . I never throw any components away, so I have had 30 tuning pins recovered from an old harp made in Pakistan which unfortunately was too far gone to repair, so I stripped components and put them away for another day. Unfortuately the tuning pins have a non standard square head, which is either too tight or loose for the Camac, Dusty and Musicmakers keys i have in the workshop. Seeing this picture I tried a few radiator bleed screw keys and one of them fits perfectly. Problem solved.. Itā€™s not a big job to make a handle as shown…
    Why I hadnā€™t thought of this myself I donā€™t know, sometimes it takes a photo to give you an idea..
    Just one thing I would always recommend using the correct key from a reputable maker, seeing burs and wear on tuning keys is not good for expensive instruments like harps.
    This photo has solved my small dilemma, so many thanks….

    in reply to: First harp build – lever question…. #278201
    talfryn
    Participant

    Hello Tanyanoel,
    Congratulations on obtaining a musicmakers kit, I am sure youā€™ll have fun building it. I have built a few music makers kits over the years, not just harps. Itā€™s a good way to get into instrument building and gives you a knowledge that will help you learning to play. I have progressed from the kits and am building my own designs for myself and others now.
    The choice of levers will depend on the music you want to play. I play traditional celtic and French music and the Harp I use predomantly for that is one of my first builds a musicmakers belle Harp, which has been modified a bit and made electro acoustic adding some built in pick ups. Itā€™s light very robust, very even tone and can play fast. Great when your trekking through farmyards and fields at dances and festivals.
    On this Harp, I use levers on E,F,B and C strings which means I can play in all the keys for my repertoire. If I tune the base harp all levers down I can get the major keys (and relative minors) with these levers for E flat, F,C,D,G which covers 99.9 percent of trad celtic and French tunes.
    I admit that I mostly fit levers on all notes these days but this Belle tuning has never let me down. You can always add more levers later. If you can build the kit you should be able to fit levers yourself, itā€™s not that difficult you just need patience as they are a lot of strings, if you decide to do that start another post later and I am sure advice can be given.
    Over the years I have used Mickel, Camac and Sakem levers, the best being Camac and Sakem. In my opinion the Sakem levers are the best performing but they are more difficult to fit, you need to undo the string when you fit them, but the result is worth it. The Camac levers are top quality as well, but I prefer Sakem.
    One thing to rĆ©alisĆ© is donā€™t mount the levers until 2 months after the new Harp has been tuned to pitch. Also if your in Eu contact the lever manufacturers directly, they are normally less expensive.
    Good luck with your build…

    in reply to: Piezo microphone pick ups for lever harp #260394
    talfryn
    Participant

    Hello when I fitted the K&K big twin I contacted them through their website and ordered special lengths I wanted to shorten one and lengthen the other in order to place them a third from top and bottom, it didnā€™t cost much for the special order, I canā€™t remember exactly how much, it was in the region 10 to 20 USD. I had no problem with customs and I live in France, I had to pay VAT to to the postman, but tax is tax and I would have to pay that wherever I bought them. They arrived pretty quickly within a week. I am still happy with the K&Ks on the Harp, theyā€™ve been on for a couple of years now and I havenā€™t had to do anything, they just work.
    I have used other cheaper (eBay) piezos, I build a hammered dulcimer during the lockdown and when I started playing again when health restrictions relaxed, it also was too quiet for the group , my experience with these cheaper piezos for the HD was not so good I need to use a preamp with these, so in my opinion itā€™s better to pay a bit extra and get good ones.

    Talfryn

    in reply to: Bringing my lever floor harp back to life! #260329
    talfryn
    Participant

    Hello Veronica,
    Yes I can relate to the shock when a metal string breaks bringing it up to pitch, I have experienced it a few times and I am sure itā€™s shortened my life expectancy. Thereā€™s a lot of energy released when this happens. But donā€™t be put off strings break, you will see this discussed a lot on this and other forums.
    There are a few tricks I use when build or repairing harps. I have no experience with the Salvi Ana, but these are pretty generic suggestions.

    1. Check the tuning pins, bridge pins and sound board eyelets, to see if there are any sharp edges touching the strings, if there are lightly use fine sandpaper or a needle file to smooth the sharp edges.
    2. Most importantly, if your frequently breaking strings when replacing them donā€™t bring them up to pitch immediately. When I am stringing a new Harp I bring them up to half an octave lower then each day bring them up a note or two in about 4 days then Harp will be up to pitch, it takes longer to get a stable tuning. For replacing strings you can bring them up to pitch sooner but I have the habit to always tune them a couple of notes short.
    3. I also use a bit a pencil lead on the bridge pins where I have strings breaking at the bridge pins, just take a soft pencil sand off some of the nib and apply it where the string touches the bride pin, in the groove between the sting and the pin.
    Strings stretch particularly when new and especially nylon and carbon strings, so be patient bringing them up to pitch. They will stabilise after a few days.
    As for the bumps and scratches if they are cosmetic donā€™t worry too much, normal furniture renovation techniques can normally be used. You do need to be sure that the soundboard isnā€™t structurally damaged, if your concerned try posting some photos..
    Hopefully this helps
    Talfryn

    in reply to: Broken tuning pin #257203
    talfryn
    Participant

    Hello Indra
    I am not aware of an easy solution to make this work, others may have some suggestions, but the pin taper and diameter has to match the hole taper and diameter. So you need to be careful not to damage the hole on the neck.
    There are solutions if you canā€™t find a replacement pin you can get a custom pin made maybe re ream the hole, but I recommend if it gets to that you should get a harp technician or luthier to help you.
    The first thing to do is to get the correct pin from L+H then you should be fine. It means waiting for the new pin.
    Unfortunately I have no experience of L+H, my harps are either Camac or homemade, so I canā€™t suggest the right size, maybe others on the forum can enlighten us…

    in reply to: Broken tuning pin #257198
    talfryn
    Participant

    Hello Indra,
    I feel your frustration, when straightforward jobs turn complicated it can be disappointing. It does seem from the photos that you have the wrong size tuning pin from L&H, at first i thought you may have just not engaged the pin deep enough but looking at you second photo you have pushed it in far enough. I would suggest you contact Lyon & Healy again with your photos. It is probably that L&H have changed the pin diameter, or maybe the taper angle. Be sure to keep the broken pin safe so you have a reference to compare against. Hopefully someone with more L&H experience on this forum can shed some light on the different pin variants used by L&H. Donā€™t try and force this pin to work, itā€™s best to be sure you have the correct pin at first before taking more complicated steps.
    The important dimensions on the tuning pin are the diameter, taper angle and length, only the length seems equivalent on the photos…

    • This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by talfryn.
    • This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by talfryn.
    • This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by talfryn.
    in reply to: Building a Small Harp #256981
    talfryn
    Participant

    Hello Molly,
    I caught the same bug 10 years ago, same as a lot of people not finding a good small harp, when I tried some Blevins and Lewis Creek solutions, the cost was too much and my wife pulled a veto. So I decided to make one instead, as I have quite a bit of woodworking experience. I started with Musicmakers kits, they are a bit more involved than the fireside kits, and lead you easily to make very good harps. The point is you can master the assembly and glue-up using these kits. Importantly my experience with their kits is that they have really accurate wooden parts with are flat, dry and stable. Their support is good too, people like Matt respond quickly and practically.
    I then enrolled on a short harp making course to build a 23 string Harp here in France at CPFI in Le Mans, it was really fun, a short residential course with a Harp included, given by professional Luthiers. This taught me to trust my own skill, it can be daunting all the advice out there, much of it hearsay, experience from professional luthiers shows you the practical nature needed and the importance of keeping your expectations under control, donā€™t expect to be able to build aā€™stradivariusā€™ in the garage.
    I then progressed to build from drawings from Markwood Heavenly Strings, Cambria 29 and Rick Kemper, Abbot 30. Both resulted in harps I play frequently.
    The last 2 or 3 years building my own designs, each time learning each time building better ones…
    There are 2 good references you should look at
    Rick Kempers Sligo harps site has a wealth of information and I think the advice given is ā€˜spot onā€™.
    Jerry Browns Folk Harp design and Construction book available from Musicmakers is a very good place to start, it explains why things are done the way they are.
    Finally you really donā€™t save money building your own, the woodwork is only a small proportion of the cost. Levers, Strings, hardware and your hours show the good value most commercial harps actually are, but the pleasure of building your own and the surprise of not knowing if it is a good one until itā€™s finished are really exciting.
    My advice start with a kit!!, Musicmakers, maybe have a look at Brian Waugh at learner harps Uk, I donā€™t have any experience but by the website he seems serious…
    Good Luck Talfryn…

    in reply to: Broken tuning pin #255528
    talfryn
    Participant

    Charles some excellant advice here, Indra donā€™t blame yourself the pin sheared exactly at its weakest point, itā€™s exactly where an engineering text book would predict it to fail. Any corrosion will increase the effort you need to turn the pin, and corrosion can introduce pitting causing weaknesses which Lead to failure..So if you follow the advice given youā€™ll be fine.
    One point I would like to add is a donā€™t. I have seen some people tempted to lubricate if you have corrosion issue, DO NOT be tempted to lubricate, this could ruin your Harp for good. The pin relies on friction to keep the string tension. It is possible to clean the corrosion off pins, but you need to know what your using to clean them to be sure you donā€™t end up lubricating the pin and taper.
    My advice is coming here as a Professional Mechanical Engineer, as well as a harp player and amateur maker.

    in reply to: New to harp: rentals and music questions #255360
    talfryn
    Participant

    Oops I just seen Iā€™ve made a mistake, Jennifer you mention Atlanta Harp centre and I confused them with Virgina Harp centre, my apologies for my confusion
    Talfryn

    in reply to: New to harp: rentals and music questions #255348
    talfryn
    Participant

    Hello Jennifer
    I have a bit of experience with both your questions. I live in France and have played harp for around 20years starting when one of my children started Harp at school. In 2010 I had a work posting to Pennsylvania which went on for 4 years, I was away from the family and missed playing Harp so I paid a visit to Virginia harp over the bridge from Philadelphia and rented a Camac Telenn on their rent to buy. The terms were good and eventually I paid the balance to buy the Harp after a year, the harp is well loved and living in Europe with my son now. It actually worked out cheaper than buying here in France at the time because the dollar was low compared to the Euro and I was still paid in Euros. That was just lucky timing.
    On your second point I can relate to what you say about sheetmusic, I play a lot of trad music Celtic and European so mostly play by ear. Harps work well with different key signatures, because you just set the levers or pedals (up or down) to the key signature and then follow the dots, you only have to worry about moving levers or pedals for the accidentals, and most music at least at the beginning follows the key signature.
    I understand the points made about reading music and sight reading they are different. My Dad is a classically trained pianist, still playing in his late 80s he can play straight off from the manuscript, itā€™s both impressive and infuriating. I can read music but itā€™s more like a decoding exercise for me, but I infuriate him with my freedom to interpret and change things easily. So itā€™s swings and roundabouts. So for sure donā€™t be afraid of the harp if you donā€™t sight read, playing by ear, leadsheets or just making it up as you go along all work. Particularly once you have learned some appegios and chords.

    Talfryn

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 35 total)