harpmanpete
27th May 2009, 12:13 PM
Howdy everyone. I found this forum whilst searching for rosewood as I'm seriously considering embarking on another harp making project. I have a passion for harps - that's the stringed kind, not the mouth-harp, as so many people I talk to seem to think. It is a beautiful instrument but not necessarily Irish, as its roots can be traced even to ancient Egypt. Anyway, I have also had a keen interest in working with timber for as long as I can remember - but it has mainly only been a mental hobby - family and other jobs taking up too much time and money to be able to get down to really working at it. But nowadays I'm starting to find the time and have been purchasing tools - piece by piece, a bench, etc, and have been to some weeklong workshops and and I'm still dreaming those positive ideas. Lately I'm building up the nerve and imagination to build a really beautiful harp, 38 strings, I perceive, incorporating some lovely dark-red rosewood - for the neck and back of the soundbox and perhaps some inlays on the front. I know it's usually a dense timber and not usually thought of as "musical" but I just love the look of it and the sound of it too.