#Lyon healy harp care full#
Use no wire core strings!ġ9th C single-action (Ram's Head era): Standard gauge gut strings, a full octave light. Use the Erard Grecian 6th 8va F-C as required. Wires are fiber-core, copper wrapped, from Vermont Strings. For the top octave use lever harp gut a full octave light. This is necessary because the flat neck curve made the alto range strings too long to stand the tension required for a=440.ġ8th and early 19th C crochet-action harps: Standard gauge gut strings, two full octaves light. Most harps that have survived have the deep neck curve that would permit them to be tuned to a=440, but the earlier instruments, including virtually all the crochet-action harps and the early Ram's Head instruments are happier at the modern accomodation of a=415.
According to the best information we have today an early 19th C harp would have been designed to be tuned to a=420, plus or minus a bit. The reference pitch in use during this period also varied. This varies with the maker and the time when the harp was designed, so it is wise to play with various tunings to find what your harp likes. The most common tunings for late 18th C and all 19th C harps was some form of meantone tuning.
Before the early 20th C equal temperament was uncommon, for in that tuning nothing is really in tune. Third, you need to realize that equal temperament tunings to a=440 is a relatively modern practice.