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| Tuning pins & bridge pins |
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| Threaded tuning pin |
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| Threaded bridge pins |
Harps have traditionally used tapered friction pins for tuning. These are tightly pressed into a tapered hole in the harp neck, and can work loose with changes in temperature or humidity, bumps in transport, or general day-to-day use. When a tuning pin becomes loose, its string won’t hold pitch until the pin is reset, which can take a fair amount of hand strength.
In 1997 we designed a new type of pin to eliminate the occasional need to reset pins. These threaded tuning pins are grooved with a very fine screw thread, which is hidden inside the harp neck. When the pins are pressed into precisely sized holes, these threads create friction that securely holds the strings’ pitch. They give the player a smooth, fine-tuning control not typically found on tapered pins, and they all line up beautifully when you look down the length of the neck, a nice bonus for those of us who appreciate small details in instrument setup.
In 1998, we designed a threaded bridge pin (the small brass guide pin just above the sharping lever). Previously, bridge pins were round with a friction fit and challenging to adjust. Since bridge pins are very useful for harp regulation as well as adjusting the string height, making them adjustable made working on our harps a lot easier.
Our Hardware Catalog is available for download as a PDF file.