Regulation is one of those words you hear a lot in the harp community. In many ways, it's become synonymous with a general health checkup, but it's a bit more specific than that. If you've ever wondered exactly what regulation is and how to tell if your lever harp needs it, you're not alone!
When a harp is "in regulation," the sharping levers will raise the pitch of each string by an exact half step when engaged, and they will not interfere with the strings when they're not engaged. However, harps don't stay exactly the same shape over their lifespans, so being in regulation is an ephemeral state. Because wood is a little bit flexible, and because there can easily be over 1000 pounds of tension on a harp from the pull of the strings, the harp's frame will subtly shift over time. The most noticeable shift is often in the soundboard, which will belly up in the center. This is one of the things that contributes to the development of a harp's tone, and it's generally a good thing, but it does change the sounding length and angle of the strings, and that in turn changes how the sharping levers interact with the strings.
When a harp is in need of regulation, you can often tell using your ears. When you tune the open strings with a tuner and everything sounds beautiful, but then you engage some levers to change the key and it sounds a bit off, that's a sign. If you test an individual string with your tuner, you're likely to find that the open string is in tune but the pitch when you engage the lever is too sharp. Another sign could be a string or several strings suddenly making a buzzing sound when plucked because they are vibrating against part of the lever that they shouldn't be touching.
Regulation is the process of adjusting the levers and/or the bridge pins until no strings are buzzing and each lever raises its string by an in-tune half step. And it's something you can learn to do yourself! We like to empower harp players to take charge of their own harp maintenance. Rather than suffering an out-of-regulation harp until you can make an appointment with a harp technician, we offer you the tools and instructions to be able to confidently regulate your own harp.
To do your own regulation, you'll need some tools and some instructions. For a Dusty Strings harp, the Dusty Harp Maintenance Kit is an easy all-in-one resource. Choose the Loveland lever version or the Camac lever version and you'll have a custom set of technician's tools, a step-by-step guide to regulation, and some extras like wire snips for trimming metal-core strings and a dusting cloth and brush for keeping your harp clean. It comes in a zippered pouch that you can slip into the pocket of your harp case so you're always ready to solve pesky issues like a buzzing string or loose lever, or to do a complete regulation if your levers are generally out of tune.
If the full kit isn't the right thing for you, the instruction booklets and basic versions of the individual tools are available separately.
How often should I regulate my harp? Harps do more of their settling when they're new, so it's not uncommon for a new harp to need regulation before its first birthday. In general, though, it will vary quite a bit depending on the harp, the conditions, and how sensitive the player's ears are. Some people choose to regulate once a year in order to stay on a predictable schedule, but our typical advice is not to worry about it until your ears tell you something is off.
Can I actually do this? Yes! You don't need any woodworking skills or other special training. If you can use a handheld screwdriver and read an electronic tuner, and you have the patience to follow instructions, you can do this!
What if I mess up? Will I ruin my harp? On a Dusty harp with threaded bridge pins, it's pretty difficult to mess anything up in a way that you can't easily undo. If you make too big of an adjustment, you simply go back the other way until you've got it right.
What if I have a non-Dusty harp? Different harp makers use different sizes and types of bridge pins and lever screws. The tools in these kits are specific to Dusty Strings harps that have hexagonal, threaded, brass bridge pins. If someone else made your harp, we recommend getting their advice on regulation tools.
What if my Dusty harp is older and has round bridge pins instead of the hexagonal threaded bridge pins? The booklet covers how to adjust round bridge pins, but we do not provide the tools for doing so. You do, however, have the option of replacing your round bridge pins with threaded ones to make regulation easier.
Give it a try! You'll be so proud of yourself!
