Some weeks following the publishing of my article on the need for tuning of levers in the Folk Harp Journal, Dave Thormahlen sent me the following email. I reprint it here exactly as I received it.
Dear Paul,
I’m sorry you took offense at the way your article was presented in the Folk Harp Journal. I had no intention of implying that your levers are not decent. Perhaps it was a bad choice for me to follow your article “Why Tune Levers....“ with my observations about adjusting flip-up levers. I did not intend to imply anything about blade levers, yours or anybody else’s. You didn't really mention blades in your article and neither did I. But in your article you ask “What is it that can change the adjustment that the lever has been set at?“ My article was in response to this question. I chose to share my observations about adjusting flip-up levers because I had another idea as to why they might go out of tune, which in my experience, they rarely do. In most cases I think the bridge pin is what moves and this is what I addressed in my article.
Again I'm sorry for the misunderstanding.
Dave Thormahlen
I’m sorry Dave, you addressed more than just bridge pins moving. You mentioned change in intonation due to the lever increasing the tension on the string, (something that any competent harpmaker will view and address as part of careful installation part and which is a constant for the set position of the lever. You also invented “Whoa“ for winding the strings in the opposite direction, which I found to be impossible on my harps without re-drilling the tuning pin.
The only reference you made to bridge pins being part of the tuning of the levers was when you admitted to using them on your harps for their ability to be slid in and out re a totally known and totally failed technology seemingly because of your inability to mount the flipup levers you use consistently within the limits of their designed tunability.
Also, you are the only harpmaker I have ever heard of that even considers using bridge pins in a moveable venue. It seems that even you feel a little guilty about it since you state that you try to not move them to the point where it becomes obvious. Frankly, if you installed your flipups anywhere near accurately, you wouldn’t have to resort to this remedy. If bridge pins, and levers (or frets) are securely anchored, and the soundboard doesn’t move up and or down (which anybody can measure to discover that it doesn’t) then the lever (fret) can not go out of tune.
All of this leads to the conclusion that there is no justification whatsoever for making tunable levers except for the convenience of the harpmaker for the levers initial installation. This is ALWAYS at the expense of the harper.
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