Soundboards – The Soul of the Harp

The soundboards that we use today are the result of continuous refinement of initial design work that was done in 1990. This initial design, based on graphic finite element analysis of an existing production harp soundboard (L&H Concert Grand), resulted in a series of restored harps that were significantly more responsive and that had a much fuller sound than the same harps with their original soundboards.

While our initial designs addressed the issues of strength, longevity, and responsiveness, we are now also able to build instruments with predictable tonality. The understanding of the effects of the acoustical properties of individual pieces of wood on the sound of the harp together with computerized instrumentation for measuring these properties have given us a unique ability to customize the sound of a harp instead of merely offering variations on the appearance of the instrument. The combination of practical technology, patient hand craftsmanship, and exceptional quality old growth, old harvest tone wood permits us to build or restore harps to meet the requirements of the most demanding musician.