Chapter Two

Creating,
Buying, Borrowing or Stealing a Design

I think many folks are attracted to
building their own harps so they can customize them.   Luckily, there are many aspects of
harp design that can be altered and still result in a nice instrument.   Harp building is kind of a loose
profession in that regard.
For their first harp, most folks feel a lot of trepidation. Selecting a
proven design can go a long way to soothe the troubled mind of a first time
harp builder.

There are several ways to go about
selecting a harp design.   The
best is to actually get your hands on a nice sounding harp and study it.   In many metropolitan areas, you
can contact the local folk harp society.   Many hold harp circles that offer
a great opportunity to sample the models out there.   There are a handful of stores here
in the United States
that sell lever harps.  These stores
and some instructors maintain a fleet of rental harps that may include one of
the instruments you would like to see.   If you are buying plans, you may
also want to ask the vendor if there is someone in your area that plays one of
his harps, or even better, has built one.   Internet groups can provide useful
information on designs – sometimes with heavily biased personal
opinions.

Some folks opt to build a small, simple
harp for their first project – advantages include less string tension,
lower materials cost, and smaller investment of time required to complete the
project.   As a proponent of
quick and dirty prototypes, I think there would be fewer failed attempts if
builders were willing to be realistic and shoot a little lower - not kill
themselves trying to reach perfection on their first instrument.

Here are some details and commentary on
the three options:

Borrowing or Stealing a Design

Some would argue this is the cheapest
and easiest way to go – simply select a harp that you really like and then
copy it.    Many aspects
of a harp’s design are readily apparent.   String spacing, length and
composition can be measured with a few simple tools.   Proponents of this approach point
out that a successful harp also drew many of its best attributes from past
models that its builder borrowed from his predecessors.

ß Lee Gayman decided to
build a harp based on a French sculpture he found.  Some builders specialize in building
harps based on the iconography (sculptures or paintings) of ancient harps.  Even if you have a working example of
the harp you want to copy on hand you are going to have to fill in some
blanks.  How thick is that sound
board? How is it attached to the sound box?   What kind of neck joint did the
builder use?  Are there commercial sources
for the hardware, or are you going to have to fabricate that too?

I think a careful copy of another harp
can get close in sound – but even when they are made by the same builder,
there will be subtle differences.    There are a number of crucial
design aspects that are impossible or very difficult to measure too – the
thickness and tapering of the soundboard for example.   If the board is veneered, its
composition, the thickness of the veneer can be hard to divine.

At one point, I was bothered by the
possibility that others would try to copy   designs I had put a lot of work
into.   After building the same
model 3 or 4 times, I realized that these and other subtle distinctions in
construction and design can collectively make a significant difference in how
the harp will perform.  These are
the distinctions that make it very difficult to successfully replicate another
builder’s work.   Some
builders vigorously resent plagiarism.   I think they are fretting
needlessly.   I have found it
flattering when I find someone thinks well enough of my design to copy it.

If you are going to copy a harp and sell
it commercially, you really need to be careful – an offended harp
builder may file a suit.

Often, professional builders are using
tricky jigs, specialized equipment, or materials to make their harps –
make sure you study and understand the joints; how/whether they reinforce
specific parts and note the materials they use.    I found out the hard way
that nice fir ply wood from the hardware store is no substitute for the plywood
most builders use to make thin swoopy necks.   Plywood harp necks are usually
built from piano pin block stock or die makers ply – for good reason.

Creating a design

Creating a design from scratch is a
significant challenge.
Most designers start with a string band.  Joseph Jourdain and others have
developed computer programs that can help a builder explore possible string
bands.  Dan Cady’s HyperHarp
can even generate the coordinates for most of the harps strings and
hardware.   In order to convert
a string band to a complete design, the builder needs to carefully think about
the stresses in the harp, how strong the different parts need to be, and how
these in turn affect the harp sound.    If it is double or cross
strung harp, you should try to talk to someone who has built one too.

ß Design plan based on
the ancient Scottish Lamont; the design should specify the scantlings for each
part, locations for hardware, string lengths, and spacing.  Figure out each part will be fastened
together.  Note the belly on the
soundboard – realize harps are going to deflect as the string load is
added.

It is important to plan ahead.   I use a CAD program and
spreadsheets to map out string spacing and locations, along with offsets for
placing bridge pins, tuning pins, joinery, levers, eyelet locations and
soundboard deflection.  Jerry Brown
sells a string spacing template along with a guide that would allow a layman to
draw a harp design using the MusicMaker’s guide, Folk Harp Design and
Construction.

Finally, I have included the checklist
I use to evaluate a new design in the appendix.  You may find this useful in your design
efforts.

Buying
a Design:

Here in the United
States, you can buy plans and kits from outfits like
Stoney End, MusicMakers, Cambria, or John
Kovac.   Some builders may also
be willing to sell plans for their own designs.   Robinson’s harp shop is the
oldest establishment and has been selling plans since the 1970’s.   Some harp builders are willing to sell
plans for their harps.   Some
once offered plans or kits but no longer do so.

ß The Guild of American
Luthiers sells plans for the venerable Clark Harp

If you are going to buy a design, here
are some questions you may want to ask:

–       Are
these just blue prints, or does it include some instruction on the building
procedure?

–       How
detailed is the instruction manual – does it include diagrams and
pictures?   When was it last
updated?

–       What
kind of support will be provided if I get stuck or need help?

–       Do
the plans include a materials list, or list of suppliers?

–       Do
they offer hardware kits for the design?

–       Do
they include full size templates for locating pins on the neck or eyelets on
the soundboard?

–       What
kinds of skills and tools does the designer assume the builder will have?

When I began to offer plans for sale I
found it could take hundreds of hours to produce clear, readable plans and a
manual which clearly and concisely detailed the assembly process.

Most designers are willing to provide
some free advice on minor design changes.   But the time to ask about this is
before you buy the plans.  Builders
should understand that many designers may be reluctant to continue that level
of support after the harp builder has decided to make significant departures
from the design he bought.

Once you have selected or created your
design, it is time to begin the sound box.

Copyright ©
2007, Rick Kemper

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