ozwinner 28th August 2003, 06:25 PM Hi All:)
Has any one made a musical instrument.
I have a hankering to make a harp, Why, I dont know, I cant play anything.
This thing has got me intrigued.
Anyone got any experiance makeing musical stuff?:rolleyes:
Here is a link to a harp hardware supplier.
http://www.musikit.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=MK&Category_Code=HarpPl
SHMBO says I dont need a harp where Im going, Im not sure what she means by that.:D
Cheers, Allan
Grue 29th August 2003, 01:38 AM Hi Allan,
If you are interested in musical instrument plans, go to
http://www.mimf.com/link.htm
absolutely the best for musical instrument information.
Glenn
silentC 29th August 2003, 09:36 AM I built a solid body electric guitar once. The hardest part of that to get right was the neck. It was made from two pieces of Mountain Ash with two strips of Queensland Maple flanking a strip of red Myrtle Beech down the centre.
The fretboard was a piece of rosewood. The whole thing had to be shaped with a spokeshave. I have to admit I totally stuffed the first attempt at the fretboard, which has a slight curve along it. The most excrutiating part was then having to run saw cuts all along it for the frets.
I found an old fella at the local handcrafted furniture factory one day when I was looking for timber to build it out of. He was making himself some furniture to take to Queensland where he was retiring. I told him what I was making and he dropped what he was doing and spent the next hour helping me out. We found the rosewood sitting up on top of an old cupboard. It was a strip about 3" by 2" and 2 feet long. He gave it to me.
He told me about how he had made a violin when he was my age. That's a totally different proposition due to the hollow body and the overall shape. He couldn't play one either but he had a glint in his eye as he was telling me about it. When he'd finished it, he found someone who could play it and hearing the sound they got out of it was reward enough for him.
Fortunately for me, I can play guitar and I used this one in a band I played in. It's a good feeling playing something you made yourself. Good luck with it.
Marc 29th August 2003, 07:47 PM As a jazz piano player I have a marked dislike for the harp (sorry that's just me) but I remember reading about some guy somewhere in Australia who is famous world wide for his harp building.
I would surf the net using google with harp building or similarstring.
From what I remember of this guy’s workshop the task is not an easy one. Definitely a nice challenge, go for it!
http://www.harpspectrum.org/building/building.shtml
http://home.pacifier.com/~blesses/bihpbuild.html
Plans here:
http://www.newrenaissance.ibs.ee/harpmake/
http://www.harpcolumn.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=0000on
soundman 30th August 2003, 11:19 PM You beta bee keen!!
some musical instruments are reasonably easy to build but an harp is aa very clever piece of wood work. Try something easier first.
Neil 31st August 2003, 01:24 PM Harps are a great instrument to build. We used to run harp making workshops when we had the Central Victorian School of Woodcrafts. The tutor and (fantastic harpist) was Andy Rigby. He still runs classes somewhere in Central Victoria but I'm not sure of his new contact information. If I can find it I will let you know.
Cheers - Neil :)
Andy on harp - brother james on violin.
echnidna 31st August 2003, 06:49 PM Here are some plans to make a celtic harp
http://www.harpmaker.net/chapter1.htm
Have fun
philly 31st August 2003, 11:06 PM Hi Allan....
A harp is a bit of an undertaking. Why not try something a bit smaller first?
Theres a guy who demonstrates at my sons school fair who makes Lyres. These things sound fantastic! If you like Ill find out who he is or you may do a search on something like "Lyre rudolph Steiner Glenaeon" (bit short of time meself!)
kindest regards
Phil
3Landerblue 1st September 2003, 08:40 AM On the road from Nowra to Kangaroo valley, there is a sign by a property that says "Harpsicord maker"
Always got me intrigued to call in and have a look.
cheers 3Landerblue
Marc 6th September 2003, 08:45 PM If you are still looking for inspiration, there was an article on harp making in the Australian Wood review December 2000 Issue 29
Page 88.
It is an interview to the allegedly only full time harp maker in Australia, Hugh Jones . . . this if he is still in business; the article is a bit of an anticlimax. . . . . "Anyone who makes musical instruments in Australia must be a fool . . ." he says
Still, lots of good info in the article, the guy is in Sydney
02 9742 3166 or e-mail [email protected]
. . . ." It's not enough to have superior hand-skills he says, Instrument making isn't about craftsmanship, it's about sound. So if you set yourself to design the perfect instrument you almost certainly won't. And that’s where a lot of woodworkers go wrong. They think because they are woodworkers they can design.
You're just born to make instruments. I start off with a sound in my head and then I think how can I trick bits of wood into making that sound, and that's the essence of it. If you start off trying to make a perfect work you probably won't. But if you start off trying to make a perfect sound, you probably won't either - but at least you’re on the right track . . . ."
Sturdee 7th September 2003, 06:27 PM There was a seven part article in the "Woodworker" a British magazine issues for the months March - Sept 2002 on how to build a Gothic Harp.
It described it in detail and was fully illustrated with plenty of photos( can't remember if it included plans or whether you had to order them).
Your library may have the copies - certainly worth a look.
Regards.
Peter
donpbk 28th May 2007, 02:44 AM Sorry to reactivate this post, but wanted to thank everyone who posted such great links on harp making. I've checked them out and bookmarked them for careful study- before I start on my lap harp. I have some experience making things out of wood, but not instruments. I'm also not at all musically inclined- so I'm probably doomed to failure - but I'm going to try anyhow.
Just in case he is reading this, I'd like to know how the original poster's harp came out. I'm making the Limerick harp from Musikit- but from my own lumber.
Any further help will be gratefully received. Thanks, Donna Menke, author of The Ultimate Band Saw Box Book, www.woodworks-by-donna.com
Harry72 28th May 2007, 04:57 AM So Oz made that harp yet?
elraco.com.au 28th May 2007, 07:56 AM Harry
Don't HARP on it !:D
BobL 28th May 2007, 10:34 AM Two more leads,
Internationally renowned tasmanian harp builder http://www.thom.tascom.net/order.html - website worth a visit.
The current president of the WA woodcarvers guild is a harp maker.
Cheers
jow104 28th May 2007, 06:28 PM To ozwinner,
you have now really got me worried, wanting to make a harp, thinking of going on a journey or something.
Before you leave us go here
http://www.myspace.com/roberttaylor4christ
Okay only kidding but I still thought it was pleasant music.
Making a harp or any stringed instrument can mean some very exacting measurements, and think of all those strings required for a harp.
ozwinner 28th May 2007, 06:55 PM Posted in 2003....:o
This harp has been done for ages, and the post is there somewhere with pics too.
Al :)
IanW 28th May 2007, 09:59 PM So Oz made that harp yet?
Nah - 'e found out they wasn't going to let 'im in even if 'e DID bring 'is own 'arp. :~
(We could all dob in and shout him a course on flame-thrower operation?)
:D :D
donpbk 20th November 2007, 03:52 AM I finished my harp some time ago and I'm very pleased with how it came out. Take a look here for all the details: http://harpmaking.blogspot.com/
Scally 20th November 2007, 06:37 AM Nice work Donna
How is your playing progressing?
donpbk 20th November 2007, 02:10 PM First off, Scally, are those band saw boxes in your photo icon? Are they in fact Yin-Yang boxes? Are they from a certain recent book on band saw boxes? I'm dying to know.
Now to the harp playing. Well. . . I am definitely a better harp maker than player. As a matter of fact I'm constantly amazed that I did make it- and it works. I don't have anything to compare it with, but to my ears it has wonderful tone for a small harp.
I'm using the Sylvia Wood book and DVD and I've gone through lesson 3, of 12. I have learned 3-4 of the tunes well enough, but I despair of ever making truly beautiful music with my lovely harp. You know- it doesn't matter. I enjoy practicing and getting a little better every time. I'm working to develop good technique as I go along, and develop calluses and keep from getting a sore shoulder. It is all good! Thanks for asking. Donna
Scally 20th November 2007, 02:39 PM Glad to hear you are still practicing Donna.
It is fun to make something that makes a nice tune. I have got tangled up with a drum group and African teacher. My musical skill is marginally better but I have had a chance to make/repair/think about a few interesting musical instruments. I posted some pieces in the Music section.
Kora - African harp, kalimbas, cajons. I want to make a Balaphon some time soon.
My Yin Yang boxes are based on a version I found in one of Dengates' books on boxes. I didn't have a bandsaw and still struggle to use the one I have.
They were made by template routing the outside and routing the base with a disc cutting bit. I shaped the lids freehand.
The timbers are American walnut from a friend in Lynchburg, Virginia and rock maple.
Drum lessons are fun because you can learn from some of the other beginners. I guess it might be difficult to find Harp lessons.
Keep working on yout technique!!
donpbk 21st November 2007, 01:50 AM Ah- I think I may have seen that book or magazine article sometime. Probably went into the design of the YinYang boxes for my daughter when I first thought about making a bunch of different designs and maybe a book. It didn't take much to change the technique and tools to making it a pivoting top box. It was my first box design and still one of my favorites.
It is interesting to me that just about nothing is generated out of thin air. For example: the Poker Box, an intricate puzzle box seemed to just come to me out of the blue, but when I was going through some paperwork the other day I came across an ad I'd cut out from a magazine years ago. It was a very similar design but just using hearts and diamonds, and it was a flat plastic puzzle. Somewhere my brain stored that image and when I was going through the memory disk of my gray matter it popped up with that design, which I then translated into a set of boxes.
Anybody else find that this is how their creative process works? Donna Menke
kitizz 8th December 2012, 05:57 PM Hi Everyone,
Sorry to kick this thread up once again. I was wondering if anyone happened to keep a record of the information available on harpmaker.net - harpmaker Resources and Information. This website is for sale! (http://www.harpmaker.net?) A few websites have referred to it, and it sounded like a useful resource. But it looks like it's down these days.
I'm about to dive into the world of harp making, inspired by a friend whose teacher built him a harp =)
Cheers,
Kit
Robson Valley 9th December 2012, 04:11 PM If you have little knowledge and little appetite to start from scratch, there are some magnificent kit harps available. I say that because some ranch kids across the valley put such a kit together 4-5(?) years ago. All possible options, too.
Can those kids play! Just a little Mick & Stones when the oldies are out of the room.
Then, I expect to see you in the McBride Harp Colony each year. Come and visit us here in the Rockies each summer. Like Jasper without the crowds and prices.
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