I used to have an auto harp that was traded back and forth between my younger brother and me. One of those times I modified it so that the lowest G string would be open in the C and C seventh chords. It made those chords sound much fuller, even though only one note was added.
I took it to a camp with me near Hot Springs, Arkansas and I’m glad I did. I wound up injuring myself by pulling a muscle in such a way that it was almost impossible for me to walk anywhere. I literally had to be carried places. So, with that injury, I spent most of my time in the lodge, too incompacitated to do any of the activities.
I had the auto harp with me and kept it tuned diligently every day. I practiced a gospel song called When They Ring Those Golden Bells and the manager of the camp liked it so much that he secretly made a recording of me singing that song and accompanying myself on the trusty auto harp. The next thing I knew he was playing it for the whole camp over the public address system. He patched it in so it was good quality too.
Anyway, reflecting on that memory, I began to desire having a new auto harp of my own.
My wife found an instrument builder in Austria, from whom she’d purchased a Finnish zither called a kantele. I found out he also built auto harps so naturally my interest was peaked.
Eva ordered one and I anxiously awaited its arrival.
It came a few days later and I lovingly unboxed it. I played a few chords and every note that needed to be open was so, but of course it needed tuning, so I began doing that. Only when I got to the E above middle C, that string snapped. I’d just barely turned the tuning pin so I was flummoxed as to why it broke so easily. Sighing, I continued tuning the instrument. The D above that also broke with barely a turn, so it was then I became furious, boxed the auto harp back up and sent it back to him. He wrote Eva saying he’d sent an instrument with good sound and optics. The optics meant very little. The sound was great but the strings, for whatever reason, were crap. I don’t know if they were old or cheap or just what, but it’s his problem again now.
As for me, I’m broken-hearted and I’ve lost the desire of owning an auto harp from any maker.
nice.
Most of them have thirty-six strings but this one had thirty-eight. There are buttons that engage felt pieces that mute strings that aren’t in the chord you press. You could probably find some videos on YouTube. How well they’re tuned, that’s another thing.
What is an auto harp? Almost like a regular harp?