Harp on Sick Leave

02/20/09 18:39 Filed in: Harp Maintenance

Recently my Wurlitzer, whose name is Goldie, called in sick for work. I guess the problem was just advanced age as she’s now about 92 years old. Last year she got a brand-new neck and soundboard along with some shiny new gold leaf so that wasn’t the problem. The issue was that the glue in the laminated layer on the back of the pedal box had gotten so old that it crystallized and was no longer doing its job to adhere the topmost layer to the the inner core. Pieces of the outer veneer were beginning to chip off around a few of the pedal slots. Shipping the entire harp to Virginia would have been costly and nerve-wracking so instead, I removed the base and shipped just the part that needed repair.

harp with chipped veneer at pedal slot
veneer chipping at upper left side of pedal slot

A harp with no base can’t stand up so I pulled out the sofa bed where Goldie reclined for nearly two weeks.

Wurlitzer harp reclning on sofa

When the repaired base finally came back I put it in place, tightened the four long screws that hold it on...

Replacing the base on the harp

... and Goldie returned to her full and upright position just in time for a Valentine’s Day outing.

Laurie Rasmussen plys a Wurlitzer pedal harp.

Tags: wurlitzer, harp, repair

Harp String Maintenance

02/19/09 23:00 Filed in: Harp Maintenance

Recently I went to the home of my friend S. to help replace some broken strings on her harp. She hadn’t played it in quite a while and when I got to her house I discovered that about 10 strings in the upper and midrange were broken and springing out in all directions. We searched through her spare set, found appropriate replacements and I knotted, strung and tuned them up. This is an old (early 1900’s) L&H semi-grand with a straight board. It’s a solid beast with smooth action that sounded rich and robust once it was back in tune.

early 1900's Lyon & Healy pedal harp
early 1900's L&H semi-grand

I reminded S. of the importance of replacing broken strings as soon as possible. On a fully-strung pedal harp tuned up to pitch there are approximately 2000 lbs. of tension pulling up on the soundboard. Gaps in the string band will cause uneven tension which, if left too long, can warp and eventually crack the board or the neck.

The previous owner of my 1917 Wurlitzer didn’t play the harp and used it only as a decorative objective in her living room for 50 years. She never tuned it or replaced strings as they broke so over the course of those five decades the soundboard warped and cracked. A small crack also developed in the neck. It was playable in this condition but delicate and its expected lifespan was questionable. If the harp had been regularly tuned and the broken strings replaced the original board would have been in much better shape. Howard Bryan replaced the neck and soundboard before I bought it so now, withe regular maintenance, it should have a long and happy life. Just like people, harps benefit from regular TLC.

1917 Wurlitzer harp before restoration 1917 Wurlitzer harp after restoration
1917 Wurlitzer model I before and after restoration