Stringing You Along - Autoharp Video Workshop

[@JudyPinchback]

Thank you for this video. This is the first time for me for changing the wires and this video was just what I needed.! Thank you again.

[@beautifuldreamer3991]

Thank you for making this video!

[@530Sharis]

Thank you! You’re great! Im buying my first one tomorrow and know nothing.

[@amidala3927]

Thank for for making this video. Here are time stamps for reference: Introduction 0:00 Types of String Anchors 1:00 - Anchor bar (Oscar Schmidt Model B)1:05 - End Pins (vintage Oscar Schmidt, et al) 1:42 - Fine Tuners 2:05 Tool List 3:55 Single String Replacement 4:45 Replacing All Strings 8:45 Remove Covers 9:05 - Oscar Schmidt Model B protruding buttons 9:08 - Vintage O.S., Chromaharp 12:25 - Luthier 14:55 Remove Old Strings 17:45 Clean Harp 21:45 String Installation 23:40 - Anchor bars 23:40 - End pins 24:45 - Fine tuners 25:10 Installing Strings on the Tuning Pins 30:50 Bridge Types 30:55 String Installation 32:30

[@mountainlaurelautoharpgath3956]

Thank you for doing this! Much appreciated.

[@OrcOfOrchestra]

Finally! A good video! Thank you for going step by step and explaining what to do. I have a 79 Oscar Schmidt and it is a pain. This is the first video that has helped me.

[@alfrede.neuman8898]

Just replaced the same A string in this video. Passed it under the bar cover with a loop in the string. It crossed under another string while under the bar cover. Had to restart from the beginning- Ugh! Tedious work!

[@JC20XX]

I'm sure this video will come in handy in the upcoming years. Thank you.

[@alancowen4424]

Both Tom and Greg: Thank you for the most amazing video of changing strings. This is excellent. I thank you very much.

[@simonward1186]

This has helped me so much. I’ve restrung my autoharp wrong a few times and it’s led to the same strings snapping repeatedly. Pretty pricey mistake given how you can’t buy them individually in England. Feel like I’ve done it right this time, thanks to your instruction. Much appreciated.

[@someolddude3858]

At 7:25 you should emphasize that the string should be wound downward on the tuning pin, and to avoid letting the turns cross over themselves as you wind the string onto the pin. This is very important!

[@heatherreadsreddit8579]

Thank you for this very informative video! Liked and subbed.

[@geradessielsimon6000]

My years of enjoyable experiences have been,believe it or not,the hard way,yet because my craft & occupation are in HIS Worshiprayers & praises,I have had to pray & ask my LORD KING to assist me in the upkeep of my instrument of worship! Grateful for many much more help these days! I wondered how David,who I was inspired through in Holy Scriptures,dealt with the maintenance of his harp! Well,I do have a design for a new harp,while waiting for my LORD'S perfect time to purchase a new harp! Many thanks!

[@Three_Eyed_Willy]

This video certainly covers all the bases!

[@tommycate3788]

Great help! Thanks guys!

[@mothersgauri4137]

This is AMAZING !!! Every detail covered. There are so many small things that one would not think of which are all important. This is a must watch for anyone attempting to do this !!

[@williamohara3088]

Very informative thank you guys!

[@kbhender]

Very informative for us beginners. Thank you.

[@Earthmother13]

Excellent video. Thanks very much for making it. It never crossed my mind to make a coil in the string before passing it under the chord bars before. Well done, guys :D

[@johnsargent377]

This is a very good video. Thank you for making it.

[@cyruskhalid1693]

pro tip: watch series on flixzone. Me and my gf have been using it for watching a lot of movies during the lockdown.

[@tatumnehemiah8654]

@Cyrus Khalid Yea, I've been using Flixzone} for years myself =)

[@kianleon2383]

@Cyrus Khalid Yea, have been using flixzone} for since december myself :D

[@cbritell]

Fantastic! Thanks!!! And please let us know about the sweet playing in the background!

[@mountainlaurelautoharpgath3956]

Finally actually checking these responses ... I have completely forgotten what the BG music was ... did we give credits at the end? I'll have to check.

[@salmonella4u]

How old do you estimate the vintage Oscar Schmidt model is and where might I find a model indication on it. I just bought a vintage one like the one in the video here. Very Sweet and well taken care of! It is even mostly in tune too! I'd just like to know how old it might be. Also, it says on it, "Airline". So I guess it give indication there of how old it is. The manual and song book that come with it are copyright published around 1953! So I guess it has to be around this time?

[@mountainlaurelautoharpgath3956]

Yes, that sounds about right to me though I'm hardly an expert ... The best resource for dating autoharps is Becky Blackley's Autoharp book ... www.amazon.com/Autoharp-Book-Becky-Blackley/dp/0912827017

[@chinojuanmrod]

Where can I find the packages of strings for the harp?

[@mountainlaurelautoharpgath3956]

schreiberautoharps.com/

[@marychastain9975]

I have a diatonic autoharp, that my husband bought me for my birthday. I would like to know where is the best place to get strings and cords to change it over to cramatic. Where is the most reasonable prices.

[@DougKing4416]

Lots of great stuff here. Thanks. I can see my errors and how to correct them.

[@nealwalters6550]

🙂!

[@arctichare8185]

How many decades should one wait before changing the strings? Mine have been on for approximately 47 years now.

[@mountainlaurelautoharpgath3956]

I usually get my wound strings changed every 18 months or so since they go "dead" first ... the unwound strings are basically good until they no longer seem to want to stay in tune. But that's me, there are many other approaches.

[@gilbertfil]

I don't own an autoharp, I don't know how i got here or why I'm watching this.

[@pierre-eugenesavary8297]

Thanks a loty !

[@GoogsMindbent]

can you imagine a young guy witha terrible name as i have, owns one of these as of today, a Schmidt B. Grandma gave it to me ;) YEA i'm gonna learn to play!

[@hempson1]

Enjoy it!🙂👍🏻

[@jenjenneration]

My autoharp is weird. It's an Oscar Schmidt and looks like the first one but all the strings are tied onto a long metal bar down into the slot

[@chinojuanmrod]

Has anyone tried to put nylon strings on a harp?

[@mountainlaurelautoharpgath3956]

Not to my knowledge but that doesn't mean it can't be done!

[@waynedavies3185]

Why don't you show changing a thick string across the top of the harp, in the first and lower second octave areas for a "continuous bridge", where the strings are much harder to control and wind fresh on the not so easy to get to , tuning pins. Show us (and give us tips), how you put them on, and wrap them properly, without causing "lap over" of the string while winding seeing they are more stiff, like spring steel and are at an angle at the bridge and Bridge rod. Those are the ones that are a real pain in the butt to change, while only requiring to change one string, because one broke, and replacement is need. The small thinner ones are easy to change, but those thick ones are a huge pain to change and replace, and get wrapped correctly. It seems that everyone that has a string change video on You Tube, choose only the small thin strings to change, and never show how to replace the thicker bass strings when they break, and require replacing. Now those thicker strings are a real pain in the butt to change, and wrap on peg properly, without overlapping previous wraps on the tuning peg, specially changing the inner row of strings, where you have next to no room to wind the new string properly, without having a cross-over in the wrapping.

[@mountainlaurelautoharpgath3956]

There's a great explanation of the details of what to do at the tuning pin end at around the 34 minute mark. This looks to be a C# string in the middle octave, so about .020 diameter. I'm guessing you're wishing we'd have shown a string an octave down from that where they are. 026 and .028 diameter. You would do the same exact thing as what we do at the 34 minute mark but it will require using more force to fight against the strength of the wires. Just another thought: in my experience at least, breaking a bass string is somewhat less likely than breaking an unwound string. That usually means the strings are getting to the point where they really all need attention. So, if I need to change one wound string, it's usually time to change them all. That makes the exact problem you describe less likely. This may not completely answer your question but it's the best I can do!