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  #1  
Old 07-21-2021, 05:18 PM
guitar344 guitar344 is offline
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Default Do harp strings break easily

How durable are they? Seen lot of videos of them breaking lately.
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Old 07-21-2021, 05:40 PM
frankmcr frankmcr is offline
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Just guessing, but it seems probable that harp strings are designed to not break easily.
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Old 07-22-2021, 12:31 PM
catt catt is offline
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There are several kinds of harp strings - each with their own characteristics (as with guitar). None are particularly prone to breakage. So, the answer is, no - for a *properly* strung and maintained harp..

Last edited by catt; 07-22-2021 at 12:38 PM.
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Old 07-22-2021, 01:59 PM
guitar344 guitar344 is offline
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwrz...nnel=JoshLayne

seem durable.
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Old 07-22-2021, 03:37 PM
catt catt is offline
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What kind of harps have you seen videos of strings breaking? If we're talking about the cheap harps you see on eBay, the strings on those are the least quality imaginable. A proper nylon harp string is as durable as a similar guitar string.
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Old 07-22-2021, 05:14 PM
guitar344 guitar344 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by catt View Post
What kind of harps have you seen videos of strings breaking? If we're talking about the cheap harps you see on eBay, the strings on those are the least quality imaginable. A proper nylon harp string is as durable as a similar guitar string.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Fhlq8vo1uSw
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DsoKJgb5HpE
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hc-Z3nyddN4
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8Kq-y3fP-wY
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Old 07-22-2021, 05:22 PM
catt catt is offline
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Well, strings do break.

I've got several harps - their strings break at about the same frequency as my other stringed instruments.. *Wire harps DO have a tendency to have several strings snap when its climate changes (an event known as 'catastrophic breakage' in harpland), but this doesn't happen with nylon. Gut is not as durable as nylon...and with pedal or lever action stretching it, certainly doesn't last as long..

Last edited by catt; 07-22-2021 at 11:08 PM.
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Old 07-23-2021, 07:07 AM
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In all seriousness not the ones played by angels.

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Old 07-23-2021, 10:01 AM
Dave Hicks Dave Hicks is offline
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I saw a harpist play bends using his tuning wrench to push on the string, and the strings survived (wire strings, I think).

D.H.
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Old 07-23-2021, 11:20 PM
Glennwillow Glennwillow is offline
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My wife has a 36-string Celtic harp made by Dusty Strings in Seattle. It came with gut rather than nylon strings. The gut strings sound a little warmer than nylon but the gut strings break all the time. When they break it makes a huge noise.

Almost all the strings have now been replaced with nylon.

And nylon strings break, too, just not as often. Harp strings will break with nobody even playing the instrument. Just ... POW!!!!! ... and everybody jumps!

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Old 07-24-2021, 11:38 AM
catt catt is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glennwillow View Post
My wife has a 36-string Celtic harp made by Dusty Strings in Seattle. It came with gut rather than nylon strings. The gut strings sound a little warmer than nylon but the gut strings break all the time. When they break it makes a huge noise.

Almost all the strings have now been replaced with nylon.

And nylon strings break, too, just not as often. Harp strings will break with nobody even playing the instrument. Just ... POW!!!!! ... and everybody jumps!

- Glenn
That issue should resolve over time. Harps do have that problem when they're new and/or settling into new environs, strings, etc.
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Old 08-03-2021, 01:09 PM
kurth kurth is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by guitar344 View Post
How durable are they? Seen lot of videos of them breaking lately.
well I've had my dusty strings 29 since '88 and i haven't changed, almost embarrassed to say, one string and they still sound great...nylons btw. I don't do much lever bending though.
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