One of the
challenges of harp building is finding suppliers that carry the good stuff
consistently and will ship promptly. Here
are the vendors I use, organized by the products I buy from them:
Joan & Skip Lamere
http://www.harpstring.com/RHome.htm
VTStrings@vtusa.net
68
Tel/Fax: (802) 244-8564
Markwood
Heavenly Strings & Cases
Laurie and Glenn Hill
http://members.aol.com/mwstrings/markwood.htm
mwstrings@aol.com
Phone: (541)535-7700
fax:
(541)535-5657
Typically the harp
builder will provide the String Makers with a string specification for the harp
they are building. Both
Savarez Fluorocarbon Strings
have become quite popular in the past few years. They are much more expensive than nylon and a
bit less expensive than gut.
I have used Savarez KF
Synthetic Gut strings for the transition area (Thick gauge nylon and Nylon/Nylon
wound strings). They can be purchased
through Mikki Henry at International Music Service,
http://www.lyramusic.com/strings.html
Levers:
Camac
www.camac-harps.com
Betty R. Truitt,
http://www.dragonwhispers.com/
619-473-9010
phone:
303/669-4358
Tuning Pins, Tuning Wrenches, Bridge Pins, Eyelets
and Reamers:
I use Betty R.
Truitt’s (see levers above). There
is also:
Robinson's Harp Shop,
Mt
(619) 473-8556
Argent Fox Music (for
tuning pins) - Dan Speers
800/604-4277
dspeer@argentfox.com
Wood for Soundboards:
I have an old time local
lumberyard nearby that carries 2x6 and 4x4 stock that is suitable for redwood
and cedar sound boards. In many cases
you can get tightly grain, straight stuff if you scrounge around old
lumberyards (not Home Depot or Lowes) here on the east coast.
Sitka Spruce can be
purchased from
Burke Girvan
(253)952-4310
He charges $50 or so for
enough wood for a board, plus shipping
If you can re-saw, try
the $60 bargain box of shorts and cut-offs from
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/main.html.
Even with some run-out and flat sawn grain, I can get five or six boards
out of a box. Aircraft spruce will also
stock plywood for soundboards, but be prepared to pay significant freight
charges for the big sheet of ply.
You can also get birch bending
ply (for sound boxes) and Birch aircraft ply for soundboards from LL Johnson, www.theworkbench.com
Hardwood:
I would encourage you to
search for local sources. Ask local wood
working clubs and cabinet makers who they buy their lumber from. I drive about two hours to
Epoxy & Fiberglass Supplies:
41 North Congress, # 8 B
(561) 279-8929
Has a nice $20 kit that
includes 12 oz of epoxy (just about enough to do the raven if you fit the
joints well), mixing sticks, measuring cups, fiberglass cloth and a variety of
fillers.
For a hand-applied finish
I would suggest Behlen’s Violin Varnish which
you can get from www.grizzly.com (applied
with the French pad technique). Before I
learned that, I used DEFT Clear Wood Finish (a brushable lacquer) which you can
get form www.woodcraft.com
If you have a spray rig,
you probably have your own prefrences. Larry Fisher turned me on to Target’s
Oxford USL. It is a water based finish
without the usual compromises. I order
it through www.targetcoatings.com.