Strings are such an important part of how a harp functions and sounds that we focus a great deal of attention on them. We go into some detail here to explain why. Pricing and set information can be found in our Strings section.
What kind of strings?
Unless it is a special order, our harps come standard as nylon-strung harps. That means they have nylon monofilament strings in the mid and treble range, coupled with various wound strings in the bass (more on that below). From the start, we designed our harps to perform particularly well with nylon strings, because that material is overall the most cost effective and trouble-free choice.
We also offer gut strings as an option on Dusty Strings harps. Some players and teachers prefer it for the tactile "grip;" some simply because it is what they are used to playing. On Dusty Strings harps, gut produces a beautifully warm, round tone and is slightly less bright than nylon.
We are occasionally asked about a class of harp strings variously called fluorocarbon, synthetic gut, KF, or carbon fiber. They have a higher density than nylon and can be used to advantage on short-scale length harps to produce a brighter tone and eliminate some wound strings. In side-by-side comparisons with nylon, groups of harp players generally concluded that synthetic gut was a bit too bright on our harps and it was determined to be not generally useful. For that reason, among others, we do not offer these strings.
How we make our strings
Because we want to maintain consistently high quality strings on our harps, we designed and built our own string winding machinery. We go to great lengths to find the best materials available. When we wind strings, we work hard to achieve a very even diameter. Strings that are consistently cylindrical along their vibrating length have a more pure and sweet tone than strings that are not. Also, the Loveland sharping lever system has 17 sizes of cams, or handles, each sized to work optimally on a narrow range of string diameters. If cam and string are matched properly, the tone of the sharped string is not significantly different from that of the open string. If a string of too-small diameter is used, the sharped tone can be dull and fuzzy. If the string is too large, the cam could crack.
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| Regulation |
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| Wrapped strings |
Accurate regulation, or setting of the sharping lever to achieve a precise half-step, is lost when strings of significantly different diameters are used to replace ones that have broken. There is a delicate interplay between string diameter and sharping lever function. To support our customers with strings that maintain proper tone and sharping lever regulation, we have a strict diameter tolerance of plus or minus .002" over the length of our wrapped strings.
We also wind our nylon wrapped strings so that the wrap ends midway between the sharping lever contact point and the bridge pin. We feel this gives the wound strings a cleaner sound and a professional look and enhances their longevity. We’ve seen that wraps can split open where they travel around the bridge pin, requiring extra tension to pull the split up over the pin. This can cause wrap or core failure, either of which means the string needs to be replaced.
String Composition
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Mid and upper ranges: nylon monofilament (all models)
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Lower mid range: nylon wrapped with nylon (all models)
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Bass strings: phosphor bronze wire wrapped with nylon (36-string harps & older 32-string harps)
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Bass strings: Steel core, wire wrapped (34-string harps)
Our goal in designing and producing strings has been to create a particularly even tonal progression all the way down the range of each harp. In other words, there is little difference in tonal quality from one type of string to the next.
We include a string chart with each harp showing the string gauges and recommended tuning for that harp. We also mount another small string chart discreetly in the soundbox as a permanent record of the string set.
We have a video and some diagrams about learning to tie the Harper's Knot, which is the knot in the lower end of the string where it rests against the backside of the soundboard.