CODE: genbk35
Folk Harp Design and Construction

Before you buy your harp, you need to look at how much work is involved with the physics in building a harp. Learning about the wood, pitches etc. is where you begin, and build from that knowledge.

I love this book. I'm only giving it 4 stars because it's a little light on theory, but it has some great information and enough "nuts and bolts" knowledge to help you get the job done well. Definitely worth the price, and I recommend it.

I started making harps when I was 16 years old, back in the early 1980's. At that time, there was very little information available on harp design and construction - I sure could have used this book then! Fortunately, I started with a Musicmaker kit before I graduated to my own designs. Like many other builders, I learned mostly by trial and error. 37 years later, I am now delighted to say that Jerry Brown is still very much in my life - as the author of this wonderful book! What a treasure...I am fascinated by Jerry's very thorough yet extremely practical approach to harp physics - he leaves most of the math out of the art, guiding the reader through the real nuts-and-bolts process of designing and building a nice range of very fine harps, from simple to more complex. The book includes large paper string patterns that immediately take most of the guess-work out of laying out a good working string-plan. He gives us lots of excellent charts which can be compared against any existing harp or harp design - these charts allow you to design an instrument with the perfect distribution of string tensions and lengths - or to troubleshoot an existing harp design. There is so much more...like all sorts of different ways to design joints, soundboards and frame parts. All-in-all, this one book gives you everything you need to know about harp design and building - and it is all very user-friendly! This book is the BIBLE of folk harp making - for the common person! AND - it's currently the only book like it in the world!

Great book with many solid suggestions! Great sense of humor!

I am enthralled with the material in Jeremy's book, "Folkharp Design and Construction." With this book, I am confident that I can design and build my own harp.

This easy to understand reference tells you all that you need to know to design and build a successful, lovely sounding harp. It answers questions such as how to determine the string length for a note such that it does not break or sound dead, how to make sure that your neck does not break under the tremendous string tension. It gives you options for soundboards. It explains the different joint types that can be used and much more. It is one of the best investments I have made.

Not having built a harp before, and having a harp to repair in my shop, I needed some quality information on how to replace the sound board. The chapter on solid wood or engineered board was wonderful. I had assumed, as the harp is not made of solid wood, that it was a lesser quality instrument. Your chapter gave me the opportunity to change my mind, and look over the instrument with a new set of standards. I'll be building a number of harps in the coming months, so I dove into the rest of the binder with eager curiosity. Wonderful work. Perfect. Again, exactly what I needed. Thank you for your good work.

I am reading your folk harp design and construction book these days, with great interest, I like the practical approach and the balance between theory and practical tips. I have already built an "almost Limerick" from your blueprint, I call it "almost Limerick" as I chose a different shape for the neck and pillar, but the geometry is all yours. The harp turned to be a good one, different skilled harpists have already tried it and each time it is appreciated for the sound, especially at the bass end, which is quite a surprise for such a small harp So, congratulations for your design, it has to be a really good one if it led to a successful instrument at my first try at building one, and in spite of some errors I made (I had not bought your book yet).

I'm writing to commend you for your excellent manual "Folk Harp Design and Construction". Without it I would not have even thought of venturing out on making musical instruments from scratch. But thanks to your extensive experience, you put together a manual that started me on a wonderful new venture in my musical journey. My background is a pianist first, and I am both a piano teacher, and piano tuner/technician. My own piano is a Steinway concert grand that I have rebuilt and refinished. This background experience, coupled with your manual, allowed me to design and build my own model of harp, the "Grand Imperial". Other models will follow for sure, based on your manual. What I really appreciated in your manual is your honesty, valuable information in easy to comprehend chapters, and your sense of humor. While you readily state that this is not a "woodworking" book, and assumes decent woodworking skills of the builder, it really helps someone with the skills and tools get up and running with their own design. You guide them safely away from many possible disasters, into the arena of success. I know that I have gone further using my background knowledge of pianos than your manual intended, (with an extended range of C1 to C7 on my latest harp), but I also know that I would not have even started without your manual. So I am indebted to you for this valuable resource. The excel spreadsheet is also a very necessary tool to use together with your manual, and is strongly recommended for a good (and safe!!!) scale design. Many mistakes can be avoided with these two invaluable tools of harp design and construction. Many, many thanks for your wonderful contribution to the world of Folk Harps.

I am truly enjoying the book. I've found the information thorough and complete, well written and easily understood. Thank you, Tom