George Blaicher Crochet Harp circa 1782 This George Blaicher crochet action harp is the oldest pedal harp that we have worked on. It has 43 strings, a full two octaves light when compared to modern standard gage pedal harp strings. We were able to save both the original soundboard and the original neck. The only replacement parts are some ornaments, the finish, and the gilding. A source in the Historical Harp Society read that Blaicher was an active harp-maker in Paris from 1782 until sometime in the 1820's. This harp has the number "1" in ink in several places. Assuming that this is, in fact, the serial number, one could assume that the harp was built about 1782, though the style and the number of strings would indicate a slightly later date. Either way it is certainly one of the oldest playable pedal harps in the world. I doubt that there are a half-dozen of its vintage with the original soundboard that can be used. The instrument has a surprisingly big sound, and is very rich in the bass and mid-range. The treble is clean and a bit brighter than the mid-range. Though a very gentle touch on the strings is required, it has a good dynamic range, and the intonation is actually pretty good. It is tuned in E-flat, which seems to be generally accepted practice for single-action harps.  Top Detail |
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