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Timothy Harps

Design Philosophy
By a Musician, for Musicians

My harpmaking philosophy is simple: I design harps that I would want to play. As one of the only full time harp-makers in North America who is also a professional harpist and recording artist, I have very decided ideas about the construction of a perfect harp.

The perfect harp should be sturdy enough to withstand the rigours of travelling and gigs, but light and compact enough to be easily portable. Its voice should have the power and clarity for acoustic performance, and a natural richness and warmth to seduce the heart of the most hardened critic.

In addition to power, the perfect harp should have a perfect balance of tone from the treble to the bass to facilitate recording and amplification, and every individual note in its range should be clear and distinct. Its finish should be attractive and easy to maintain, and, for peace of mind, it should be covered by a comprehensive warranty.

The science of harpmaking lies in crafting harps that consistently approach these ideals. The art of harpmaking lies in crafting harps with which musicians will quickly and irrevocably fall in love. What an honour and an adventure it is for me to be engaged in this craft, and, hopefully, touching lives with grace along the way.

Strings and Hardware

Timothy Harps instruments are strung with a moderate to high tension to enable sophisticated use of dynamics. We use the same tapered tuning pins that are employed in pedal harp construction, and offer you your choice of Camac, Loveland and Truitt sharping levers.

Warranty

Timothy Harps instruments are warranted for five years from the date of purchase against damage resulting from flaws of materials or workmanship. Any harp suffering such damage will be repaired or replaced at the discretion of the luthier. This warranty does not cover string breakage, normal wear and tear, accidental damage, or damage resulting from exposure to environmental extremes. Transportation of instruments to and from the harp shop is the responsibility of the purchaser.

Materials and Production

Every Timothy Harps instrument is individually handcrafted using carefully selected tone woods, in our climate controlled workshop. Our harps are built to exacting standards which are the result of thousands of hours spent researching instrument design and the science of acoustics. We are confident that the results of our dedication are some of the finest harps available in the world.

Design Features

Our harps feature flat surface construction, which maximises the acoustic potential of the soundbox, and asymmetrical soundboards, which helps to prevent phase cancellation, and ensures a lively and even tonal response from every harp. Each soundboard is constructed with quartersawn, solid, straight-grained tonewoods, and painstakingly compound tapered for volume power and balance.