The simple answer is – Yes! We guarantee it! | Shop Kits Now. Read on for a more verbose answer to this question. Security – Hundreds of Happy Customers Musicmaker’s has been helping folks just like you build quality musical instruments for over 25 years. This is what we do. We take our greatest satisfaction … Continue reading Can I Really Build a Kit?
Category: Shop Tips
The String Window
This information is adapted from Jerry Brown’s Book, Folk Harp Design and Construction. Jerry geared the information toward harp building but the concept of the String Window is useful to understand for a variety or purposes: it should help you figure out the acceptable tuning range of, say, a homemade hammered dulcimer, or help you … Continue reading The String Window
String Window Table
Here is the String Window Table referenced in this post.
Steel String Selector | What size string do I need for my musical instrument?
We often hear from folks that have “found an old zither in the attic” or “picked up this instrument at a garage sale” or had an instrument given to them by a well-intentioned friend or relative. There are a myriad variety of these old zithers, psalteries, ukelins, and other musical instruments around and most of … Continue reading Steel String Selector | What size string do I need for my musical instrument?
Building a Harp: Woodworking Tips and Customization Ideas
Here are a collection of articles Jerry wrote for the Folk Harp Journal about building a harp for yourself. These features were written to celebrate and encourage the craft of harp-making by home hobbyists around the world. The goal was to publicize the excellent, and sometimes surprising, results of several of these adventurous woodworkers. The … Continue reading Building a Harp: Woodworking Tips and Customization Ideas
Harp Soundboards: Plywood vs Solid Wood
The following is an excerpt from Chapter Four of Jerry Brown’s book on harp making, Folk Harp Design and Construction. The entire 150-page manual is in print in a 3-ring binder or as a downloadable PDF file. The Great Plywood Debate: Laminated -vs- Solid Soundboards There has been rather heated discussion over the years … Continue reading Harp Soundboards: Plywood vs Solid Wood
Clamping without Clamps
Musical instruments make for a unique woodworking project in many ways, not the least of which is the amount of tension they must be built to withstand. Guitars, for example, have over a hundred pounds of string tension on the neck and bridge, while harps can have over 1000 pounds of string tension All of … Continue reading Clamping without Clamps
Building the Voyageur Harp
In this article we will post a six-part video series that walks you through every step of building the Voyageur Harp. Part 1 – This video covers assembling the body frame. Part 2 – This video covers getting the soundboard ready for installation. Part 3 – Gluing the soundboard and back to the harp body … Continue reading Building the Voyageur Harp
Kaizen > Entropy
Jacob, our new owner, has begun to put the concept of Kaizen into practice at Musicmakers. Kaizen is a Japanese term that means “change for better”, although, in business applications, it has come to mean “continuous improvement”. In practice, it means that every employee is encouraged to find and suggest improvements in all aspects of … Continue reading Kaizen > Entropy
Resawing wood for soundboards
Take a look as we resaw some mahagony that will become a soundboard for a Reverie Harp. Considering purchasing a Reverie Harp? The Reverie Harp is a music therapy instrument designed to be played by everyone regardless of musical skill and produces soothing music, healing vibrations, and lightweight portability. Learn More About the Reverie Harp … Continue reading Resawing wood for soundboards