Building

The Lever Harp

Rick Kemper, Sligo
Harp Shop

Introduction

Building
the Lever Harp
was written to allow the careful craftsperson to build a solid attractive lever
harp.   This manual is the
first of two sections.  It outlines
the processes and procedures I have developed in my shop for building lever
harps.   They are presented in
the approximate sequential order I use when building a harp.  In many cases I will present 2-3 options
for tackling a specific task.

The
second section will deal with more of the underlying mechanics and theory that
can help the builder and designer tackle new projects.   I expect to complete it in
2008.  The second section is not
needed to build a decent harp, but it will be my attempt to offer some thoughts
to those that are truly afflicted with the need to dig deeper into theory and
design topics.

As
I have read other books on harp building I have found they lack specific
descriptions of the step-by-step processes of harp building.  These web pages are an effort to provide
fairly specific descriptions of the processes I use.  In doing so, certain compromises have to
be made.

These
webpages do not purport to be an exhaustive catalog explaining all the
building options.   In some
areas, you will find a rather terse description because the procedure would be
familiar to the average amateur woodworker.  For example, building the frame for a
square back sound box is not really that different than building a small
trapezoidal book case.  Other
descriptions will get fairly detailed because they are not common (i.e. vacuum
forming a round back) or they are for assemblies that need to be particularly
strong to guarantee the longevity of the harp (i.e. attaching soundboards,
fitting the neck to the sound board).

These
webpages do not purport to show the “best” way to build a harp.  The “best way” is going to
change with the type of harp one is trying to build, the skills the builder has
acquired, the materials he can procure and the tools at his disposal.

I
tend to rely on modern joinery techniques and materials over the traditional
approach.  For example, many
traditional builders would choose to cut a mortise and tennon for the
neck/pillar joint.   In these
web pages, I describe two alternatives (A dowelled joint, and a splined
joint).  I think they are quicker
and more fool proof for the average woodworker that has access to a table saw
and drill.   I have omitted
experimental techniques that have not yet stood the test of time.

Musicians
tell me they often cringe upon hearing a tune that they had recorded years ago
– they would play the tune quite differently now.   I cringe at some of my first
harps.  Experienced builders may
also cringe or disagree with some of the statements II have made or at the
approaches I use for specific parts of the construction process.   I play my tunes the best way I
know how, and try to stay open to other’s interpretations.   I appreciate the opportunity to
reinterpret the music anew each time I sit down to play.  I would welcome constructive criticism
on harp building, directly or via a spirited debate on the Yahoogroup
Harpmaker’s list.

Acknowledgements:

Lee
Gayman has been my mentor and encouragement since I first began to build
harps.   Visits to his shop
have always driven me to improve the integrity, sound and finish of the instruments
I build.   His example has
shown that we owe an eternal debt to the builders that have gone before, and
that we must take pains to pass the best of the tradition on to others.   This building guide is my effort
to repay part of that debt.

Larry
Fisher has also been a generous with his expertise as we have shared techniques
and building approaches with each other.
He is a master finisher.

Thanks
must also go to other harp builders that have rendered aid and comfort in many
different ways – whether it be the dark hours after a blown soundboard,
getting a string to sound better or eliminating the strange buzz emanating from
within the sound box.  In no
particular order, these include

Glenn
Hill, David Drain, Steve Green, David Kortier , and Jerry Brown.

Dan
Cady for putting some good string bands up on the Internet,

Betty
Truitt - thanks for the excellent hardware and great service,

The
many folks on the harp builder’s Internet discussion group who have been
diligent enough to write thoughtfully and intelligently on the details of harp
design and construction.

And
to Jill.  Thanks for putting up with
all the sawdust at the dinner table, letting me have half of the basement for
the shop, and allowing me the selfish indulgences of this highly addictive
pursuit.

Copyright ©
2007, Rick Kemper

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