Soundboard repair or replace?

[Victoria Johnson]

I am not a harp marker or tech so I could only speak from what I know. From what I have heard, some soundboard bellying is good as they are designed to move to achieve the best sound. If there has no potential for movement it would limit its resonance. That also means it is possible for the soundboard to crack at some point with all the flexing that’s happening to the wood. When I was looking for a used pedal harp, a good number of the older ones had their soundboard replaced at some point (somehow I have 20 or 25 years in my head). So some cracking on the soundboard for a 15 year old harp does not sound unreasonable. If the maker is able to patch it, it might not be be bad idea to do it before the cracks worsen? Replacing the soundboard is likely going to cost quite a bit more than repairing cracks, so I would be inclined to address the problem while it is still manageable. I also don’t know how much more time you are able to “buy” by repairing the cracks. That could be a good question for the maker? Another factor to consider is how long you plan on keeping the harp. If you intend to keep it for a long time, you could continue to use it until the soundboard require replacement and deal with it then. The downside of replacing the soundboard is that it will take time for the sound to mature, although that could still be a better option than buying a brand new harp especially if the harp is special or cost more money to replace (such as a pedal harp!). Not really advice but hope that’s helpful in some shape or form. Good luck!

[Linda Bellwood]

Thanks Victoria. You’ve highlighted some of the concerns I’ve got. It’s quite expensive to transport the harp to and from the maker then I’ve got the expense of the repair and then the expense of the replacement soundboard to try to work out what’s best to do. I don’t want to sell the harp at the moment but when I’m gone my kids will probably want to. It’s got a lovely double headed salmon carving on it so I don’t really want to let it go and want it in the best condition. Do you take the tension off the strings when you aren’t using your harp or do you leave it always tuned up? I’m just trying to see what I can do to try to alleviate things.

[Victoria Johnson]

Again, only based on what I’ve learned from others… Lowering the tension of the strings is not always a good idea because the soundboard (and the harp in general) is designed to take a certain tension, so when the strings were loosen you are changing the tension and thus the behaviour of the wood and the strings. For example, the strings might have trouble staying in tune. So if you are going away for a holiday, it is not necessary to drop the tension of the string. As for dropping the tension of the strings to prevent the soundboard from cracking further, I think that would only make sense if you decide not to play the harp and put it in storage. If you intended to play the harp somewhat regularly, I don’t think it would be a good idea to change the tension of the strings too often. I have never dropped the tension of the strings on my harp, but I do put all the levers down and put all the pedals to flat for most nights.

[Linda Bellwood]

Thx Victoria. I don’t normally take off the tension on the strings either but someone suggested this to me. I’ve moved it through to another room which hasn’t got as much in the way of variable temperatures and it’s on the opposite side of the room as the radiator so hopefully that will suit it better.

[Victoria Johnson]

Steady temperature and humidity is always good! Good luck with your harp and the soundboard! 🙂