Help: Harp hybrid instrument - what is it??

Subject: Harp hybrid instrument - what is it??
From: Helen
Date: 29 Mar 01 - 06:05 PM

Hi all

Someone on the e-mail harplist posted this e-bay address for an instrument which looks like a cross between a harp (stringed variety not suck-blow-spit variety) and a lute. What on earth is it?

Catspaw, have you been drinking the joy-juice again and getting creative??

harp-lute hybrid?? http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1419793673

Obviously this e-bay site address is not going to be there forever so I am copying the picture for future reference - just in case this thread gets revived for some reason (thread-drift avalanche overwhelms original reason for posting, perhaps).

Helen

Subject: RE: Help: Harp hybrid instrument - what is it??
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 29 Mar 01 - 06:26 PM

I believe the correct name for this instrument is a "Hute".

Even Spaw couldn't have come up with that one in his wildest dreams ............

Murray

Subject: RE: Help: Harp hybrid instrument - what is it??
From: catspaw49
Date: 29 Mar 01 - 06:29 PM

Still a harp Helen. Unusual soundbox and obviously quite large. It looks as though there are places for more strings, bit its hard to tell in the picture. May be totally original or based on some medieval designs. I have a book with some interesting pictures but the one thing many had in common back then were the oversized soundboxes.

Kinda' cool looking, but gawd knows how it plays or sounds!!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Help: Harp hybrid instrument - what is it??
From: GUEST,nancy
Date: 29 Mar 01 - 07:09 PM

I wish I had the spare cash to invest in this....looks like a strung onion....

Subject: RE: Help: Harp hybrid instrument - what is it??
From: catspaw49
Date: 29 Mar 01 - 07:10 PM

ROTFLMAO nancy!!!!! THAT'S IT!!!!! A Perfect Description...........I love it!!!!!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Help: Harp hybrid instrument - what is it??
From: harpgirl
Date: 29 Mar 01 - 08:30 PM

...what a beautiful harp! It looks as though if it were tipped back a little and held against one's abdomen, it would merely be a lap harp with an onion or gourd shaped resonator. I think the seller has it angled wrong...If it is in very good condition, it is being sold cheap, don't you think Helen?...hg

Subject: RE: Help: Harp hybrid instrument - what is it??
From: Bert
Date: 29 Mar 01 - 10:15 PM

Yup, Spaw is right. It's a harp. But I like Nancy's description better.

Subject: RE: Help: Harp hybrid instrument - what is it??
From: Ferrara
Date: 30 Mar 01 - 12:52 PM

I love it! It has pegs for 32 strings (I counted.) My friend Harp Corrigan says 22 is the minimum, and 35 is about the max for a Celtic-style harp.

Oh, I covet it!

Strings will be expensive, too. Lark-in-the-Morning may have some. Tuning it is going to be interesting, because it looks as if the pegs are not all the same size and shape. (I have that problem with an old zither I got.)

Subject: RE: Help: Harp hybrid instrument - what is it??
From: harpmolly
Date: 30 Mar 01 - 04:31 PM

oooh...pretty...*droooool*

Too bad I already have way too many weird harps in my house. I seem to be collecting them. :) But it's very cool! I wish I could get a better look at it...

M

Subject: RE: Help: Harp hybrid instrument - what is it??
From: Sorcha
Date: 30 Mar 01 - 06:17 PM

It's a "triplet harp" (gonna have triplets!)hee hee hee!

I agree, it's neat looking, but it also looks like it needs a luthiers' tender care.......I LOVE "strung onion"......spit in the keyboard again.

Subject: RE: Help: Harp hybrid instrument - what is it??
From: GUEST,nancy
Date: 30 Mar 01 - 09:40 PM

Somehow it sounds like an old folk club...."And now, appearing for the first time at the Strung Onion, put your hands together for... " Probably harking back to Purple Onion days....

Subject: RE: Help: Harp hybrid instrument - what is it??
From: Julia
Date: 30 Mar 01 - 10:30 PM

Nylon strings are not expensive. Go to the source - Robinsons Harp Shop in CA or Vermont Strings. Nice folks and nowhere as pricey as Lark in the Morning

By the way, there is a NH harp builder who made some very wnderful lute-harps back in the (19)80's I played one last week that was still sporting it's original strings!