The DIY Uncoated option allows the greatest freedom in customization, but with this freedom comes risks. This package is best for the DIY-savvy folks with plenty of experience coating and finishing wood. This is not a good pick for a first coating project. 

The coated package is a great pick for those who enjoy the assembly process and may want to add color or hack things along the way, without having to undertake the entire coating process. 

Our coat makes it easy to add paint, varnish, decals, or stickers. Because the coating has soaked a bit into the wood, it allows you to sand or polish it before adding layers. 

Check with your supplier that whatever finish you use will stick on 2k Oil.  Oil-based products are your safest bet. 

Test the product on a non-visible area first, like the inside of the frame. Make sure to keep the coat as thin as possible around the levers as thick coats may compromise their functionality.

Read our Coating Guide for more in-depth information.

Yes, but acrylic paints have less wood absorption than oil based paints, this means that in the long term your harp will be more exposed to scratches or cracks. At the same time acrylic paints allow much more customization, ask around your local Harp-E community for tips and ideas, and remember to keep the levers smooth and functional. 

If using water-based paints, use as little water as possible. Too much may ruin the wood.

We advise against painting metal parts – it will affect the functionality of the components and the paint may not adhere well, leading to cracks over time.

In alignment with our mission of increasing harp accessibility, we believe in the importance of allowing customers to repair and replace individual parts. For that reason, you can contact us at support@harpeharp.zohodesk.eu to request spares for purchase of any part of the harp.

If it wasn't done prior to assembly, we highly recommend taking out the levers and adding a layer of hardwax oil wood finish. This has been proven to restore functionality on previously stiff levers.

To remove the levers, you have to loosen all the strings and take them out. Due to this, have a spare string set handy as it is very likely to lose some strings in the process. 

Sand the levers with a low grit (between 80-120) for the wax to be absorbed. 

If your levers are still too stiff afterwards, we recommend starting over with a new set coated by us. Reach out to our support team at support@harpeharp.zohodesk.eu to request a new set of levers in any of our standard colors. 

Certain solvents can chemically attack and break down the rubber inside the rings of the levers, leading to a complete loss of integrity. 

Solvents to avoid: Toluene, Xylene, Benzene, Acetone, Methyl Ethyl Ketone, Methylene Chloride, Trichloroethylene (TCE) / Perchloroethylene (PERC), Ethyl Acetate / Butyl Acetate, Strong Acids, Petroleum-based Oils and Fuels (Paint vehicles often contain these). 

This list is non-exhaustive. At our studio, we are focused on making the harps in our signature way; we do not have the bandwidth to pursue experiments with all types of paints and chemicals to know exactly every product that is safe and unsafe for the instrument. Coating your harp is always at your own risk and we highly urge doing your own research. Please contact us if anything strange happens as a result of a paint experiment so we can inform others.

Harp-E has a deliberately transparent design, allowing you to easily modify it. Some examples of alterations include: assembling the harp mirrored to make it left-handed, combining two Harp-Es to create a double-strung harp, integrating further electronics in the open spaces of the frame, and so on. 

The wood is strong, flat beech ply which allows for drilling additional holes. The unique centralized lever mechanism means there aren't a lot of forces going on, even 
though the strings are under high tension. This means altering the structure (within reason) is pretty safe. Although safe is not risk-free, please make sure you know what you are doing.

The Harp-E community is a great place to bounce ideas or ask for help!