The worst thing you can hear on a harp is the sound of wood creaking - like an old boat. Sometimes it is barely audible to me but I sense it first. The design of Mystic-Al is very radical. I have succeeded in making a modern quad harp but had never tried making a traditional sound - ie more 'sweet' but involves more stress. I am no joiner so the first few weeks of tuning up are quite stressful. You are loading over 2 tons of stress onto a frame which could 'explode' at any time.
Mystic-Al was holding its tuning - usually a good sign - but I suddenly noticed that the forepillar didn't look quite right. It is made up of 3 pieces of wood and the point where all the stress 'hits' is about a foot up from the floor. One of the pieces of wood - mahogany - had started to warp along the grain. Astounding - the wood is about 4 inches wide and 1 inch deep and it was bending along its length not across the inch depth!
I stood transfixed and fascinated by the sound and then leapt into action. I had to loosen all the strings below middle C - being careful not to create a see-saw action by taking the stress off un-evenly. Getting clamps onto a triangular shape is not easy so I have an old margarine tub full of off-cuts. I had to find the right size and angle of wood and hold it onto the forepillar with my teeth whilst I tightened the clamp under the base of the harp using both hands! It took 3 clamps before I could persuade the wood to straighten again.
Dave came in at this stage from glazing my greenhouse and took one look and got his drill! It takes him half the time to drill holes and then drill the screws in - a knack I have never managed to master so do it laboriously by hand!
As I write this blog the harp has come back up to pitch and is holding its tune well - phew!!!
I have 3 weddings this week but am back on stage next Friday at The Square Chapel, Halifax.
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