Fine Harps and Dulcimers from the Marches of Wales

Harps

Harps have the potential to be the most sculptural of all musical instruments - the shape of our harps is mainly inspired by the strong yet graceful lines of Viking longships.

The Silver Spear range includes small lap or travel harps and two distinct ranges of 34 string clarsachs - the Finlaggan (named after the ancient seat of the Lords of the Isles on Islay), and the Camlad (named after our local river on the border of Wales).

The Camlad is also available in a 27 string model, with our special wooden sliding stand.

FINLAGGAN 34
The Finlaggan is a compact modern 34 string clarsach with a very distinctive sweeping profile and generous string spacing.

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CAMLAD 34
The Camlad 34 is a modern clarsach with a strong, bright, yet expressive tone; fitted with medium-tension nylon strings.

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CAMLAD 27
The Camlad 27 has a soundboard of aircraft-grade laminated Finnish birch, a round-backed sound-box, and a unique sliding stand.

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Lap Harps
Designed primarily as travel harps, or distinctive instruments in their own right, ideal for improvisation or song accompaniment.

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The Frames
The frames are made from fine British or American hardwoods, finished in clear lacquer to bring out the beauty of the grain. Examples of the most popular woods, with some information on their influence on the instrument’s sound, can be seen by clicking on the link - other timbers may also be available as special commissions.
The Sound Box
The sound-box is formed in a vacuum press from up to twelve layers of thin laminated birch, normally overlaid with a high quality veneer to match the frame, creating a harp body which combines the light-weight strength and durability of modern techniques with the fine tone and playing comfort of a traditional round-backed design.
Strings
Our harps are normally fitted with high quality nylon strings, which give a bright, yet rich and expressive sound. Nylon strings are more resistant to atmospheric changes, less liable to break, and less expensive to replace, than gut; but some players still prefer the particular sound quality and feel of gut strings, and these are available, as an option, on our Finlaggan range of harps.
Semi-tone Levers

Semi-tone levers allow a harp to be played in different keys. All our harps are now normally fitted with Camac levers; which are superbly engineered, smooth and easy to operate, and give the same clarity of sound, when in use, as the open string. But other types of levers may be also available, as an option, on specially commissioned harps. Our clarsachs are generally tuned in E flat, to allow them to be played in
the widest range of keys, and the listed prices includes a full set of levers. But levers can be fitted on just the ’c’ and ‘f‘ strings, (and the harp tuned in C,) if preferred.

Please ask for details.