Maintenance preserves your investment
'Regulation' for pedal and lever harps
This term best describes the regular adjustments required to keep your harp carefully in tune and ready to respond to your musical needs. The wooden frame of the harp and metal mechanism are very different materials, requiring periodic adjustments. Phoenix Harp Center welcomes two of the guild's most experienced technicians, Peter Wiley and Gabriel Diaz for regulations several times per year. This service work includes replacement of pedal felts, adjustment of rod lengths, spot-check for pedal issues, full 1/2-step disc calibration and focused attention to owner's notes.
The next regulations will take place in January 2025.
Maintenance
Harps always like what human beings like: moderate temperatures and comfortable humidity levels. Think carefully about atmospheric conditions for your valuable harp. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight, heat sources and cold temperatures. Always be mindful the concert grand wooden frame supports about 2000 lbs. of tension, allowing the soundboard to vibrate and sing. Structural aging is minimized with the use of a transport cover and harp dolly. Wipe your instrument after playing with a soft, dry cloth. Polish with manufacturer's approved product only when needed. A small brush cleans the intricate discs and mechanism. A periodic regulation significantly improves the harp's ability to meet your
performance demands.
Strings
Whether made from natural fibers (gut), synthetic (nylon) or wire (steel wire), clean hands and daily tuning increase their lifetime. The fact that they sometimes break without warning gives good reason to have a back-up set in reserve, much like the spare tire in the trunk of our car. Always use the manufacturer's recommended replacement strings. Using the wrong strings may result in unwanted tuning problems and potentially damaging structural issues. The approved strings are always the
right ones to use!