How Are Harps Made?

Harp frames are typically made from woods like maple or walnut.

Harps are a classical stringed music instrument with a wooden base and sound box. There are many variations on harps today, including plastic versions, but traditional harps are still made using rich woods and sound boxes for the best sound possible. Traditional harps are handmade and carefully pieced together.

Frame Materials

The frame wood of the harp gives it general shape and also contributes to sound quality. Typically, wooden timbers are bought from mills for cutting into the necessary shapes for the harp frame and sound box. Hardwoods are the most typical, including walnut, maple, cherry and even rare woods such as mahogany and bubinga.

Soundboard Materials

The soundboard wood is layered on the sound box and is the most important material in the harp, amplifying the sound of the strings and creating the proper reverberations. Materials used to create the soundboard can also vary, but the most high-quality boards are created from spruce. Laminate or plywood boards are also common, especially on cheaper harps.

Strings

Harp strings can vary widely in material and are made from either nylon, synthetic gut or wire. Some harps have a combination of different string materials to produce different sounds. Nylon is often believed to produce the best sound, but synthetic gut strings are also of high quality. Harp strings are typically ordered from companies that cut them especially for harps, and then they are strung by the harp creators.

Tuning

Tuning devices vary from harp to harp. Classical or pedal harps typically have brass plates installed to hold the strings and brass tuning levers to adjust the string length. Sometimes the brass is overlaid with gold, but some parts that see more wear are made of stainless steel or even nylon plastic. The wood itself is usually given a coat of varnish after the metal plates have been installed.

Cutting and Forming

Many harps are cut out of wood using templates and a form cutter. Plywood templates are laid across the timber, and the shapes of the harp are cut out, then shaped and sanded. The base is angled to make room for the soundboard, and veneer is often glued down to help with shape and appearance. The glues used to create the soundboard and glue on the veneer can vary, but some companies prefer hide glue or a similar, natural glue for its sound properties.

References

• Celticharper: What Are Harps Made Of?
• Celtic Harps: Creating a Harp
• Harp Center: Harps