Restoring a 1940's autoharp
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ต.ค. 2024
- Let restore a 1940's Oscar Schmidt autoharp to good playing condition!
reverb.com/ite...
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looking up your serial number:
google search terms - Oscar Schmidt autoharp serial number lookup
blogjr.amebaow...
www.musictoob....
www.oscarschmi...
I have purchased a disassembled autoharp and was looking for help as to how to put it back together, I think this will help as I have all the parts only have to make them fit together hehe thank you!
Thanks for watching! And good luck with your assembly!
Amazingly wonderful how you restored this 1940's auto harp thank you
Thanks for the kind words and for watching!!!
Wow! Amazing!
Thanks!!
I was drawn to watch your restoration project video for the autoharp. As someone who plays restored vintage autoharps, my first reaction to the instrument you started with was "firewood". You did a very nice job of bringing back an attractive appearance, and I can see how much work you did to get there. My gut feeling is that this particular instrument will only really ever be good as an attractive wall hanging, as it will probably never sound good, or even to be able to hold a tuning. Nevertheless, I enjoyed watching your progress from "disaster" to an attractive display object. (One nit, you have the chord bars in the wrong order)
(As a reference point, I just yesterday received a set of custom made strings for a 135 year old autoharp I am working on). If you wish, please feel free to listen to several different vintages of autoharps on my own YT channel.
Thanks so much for your thoughts and input! I agree that this one will not have a "great sound". I have playing and building instruments for a number of years and enjoy bringing old instruments back from the brink. This was my first opportunity to work on an autoharp and learned a lot in the process.
@@workshopstudios43 I could tell you were not a beginner at working on instruments because you didn't just "Minwax it up". The one point about the "A body" instruments, like you worked on is that to remove the strings, the best way is to back the tuning pegs out by 3-1/2 turns. If you re-install strings it makes it easy to re-establish the depth of the tuning peg. Too shallow and it will slip and go out of tune, and too deep and you strip the hole. The instruments have changed over time, so I need to go slow working on the 1885 and 1910 instruments I am currently getting ready to do.
Thanks for the tip about the tuning pegs!
I built a hammer dulcimer from scratch and restored an old Wurlitzer upright piano so had some experience with tuning pegs before starting the autoharp.
The pins in the autoharp proved to be one of the more challenging parts of the restore as many of the holes were too big (striped or wood to old) to hold the string tension for tuning. I ended up doing a quick fix of "shimming" to add enough tension to hold the string. Seems to be working so far as its holding tuning.
Good luck with the1885 and 1910 projects; it does bring me great joy to see older instruments given the TLC they deserve.
Well wait up there 😀 let's ask. How did it sound?
@@DougKing4416 I'm not trying to be a Gloomy Gus, but you just have to realize that harps of that era didn't sound all that great to start with. Then, throw in cracked soundboards (front and rear), a mix of new and decrepit strings and a completely degraded set of felts, this is one that should be seen, not heard.
Getting ready to do the same. Curious. Did you use something to reinforce the tuning pin holes
Doug, I did need to shim some of the holes to tighten the pins so they would hold tuning. I used toothpick for some; needed hardwood for a couple. Probably a better way to do that. Maybe some other viewers have ideas.
good luck with the restore and thanks for watching and commenting!
Good video. Helped alot. Just finished restoring mine. Wasn't near as bad as yours. But came out awesome.
very glad to hear that! and thanks for watching!!
how were you able to look up the serial number and find out its approximate age? i just bought a similar looking atuoharp, same trademark symbol picture and everything, and im trying to determine its age
Emma, its been a while since I looked up the age of my autoharp so I don't remember exactly how I got it, but you should have some luck if you try this -
looking up your serial number:
google search terms - Oscar Schmidt autoharp serial number lookup
some sites that might help
blogjr.amebaownd.com/posts/18423882/
www.musictoob.com/oscar-schmidt-serial-number-lookup-why-theres-a-need-to-do-so/
www.oscarschmidt.com/
thanks for watching! and good luck with finding the age of your autoharp!
based on your excellent question I added this information to the description below the video :>
Why didn’t you show it after tuning it up? So disappointing? Good work.
I started this project just before the covid shutdown and then life happened 😬
I finally finished it and it turned out fine.
Thanks for watching and commenting!!
New strings and new felt probably would have been better but at least it has new life
Yes, I thought about that at the time but wanted to see how it turned out.
Wise thing for you to do @@workshopstudios43
Good job on bringing up the finish, but if you really wanted to restore it to it's best playable condition, you should have taken time to properly repaired the cracks in both the front, and the back, before ever recoating with varnish lacquer. Taking out the cracks would up the value of the instrument, when completed, and the notes (while playing), would sound a whole lot better as well. I picked up an older Oscar Schmidt auto harp the other day from a second hand store, that is not as old as yours, that was badly damaged from the past owner dropping it. The face was damaged, as well as a long crack can be seen in the back, that nearly travels half the length of the harp itself on the bass strings side. The finish is still very good, but that crack has to be dealt with to make it worth-while in repairing it back to normal, again. I repaired the face, and tuned it up, sounds not bad, even with that nasty crack. This past week, I have been making up a home-made "jig", that will be used to both close-up, and seal-up that crack up tight, and take out the slight warp in the wood, that, that crack created, when it was dropped. I'm hoping that once I'm finished, no-one will be able to see any repair was ever done, less they look extra close. To add strength to the repair, I'll be "cleating that crack" from the inside, in multiple places, so it doesn't come lose ever again. My strings are old as well, so I'll be replacing them with new ones, for max. sound quality. I will also re-felt each of the bars, for the very same reason. When completed, it should both play and sound as good as any new harp, and will last for many years of enjoyment of playing ( as long as it's still properly taken care of). I have to agree with another person's comment below, that it's just a fresher looking wall hanger, after watching your video.
Thanks for the great information! I'll put that on the list for phase 2 of the auto harp restore. And Thanks for watching!!
@@workshopstudios43 ... Here's a little jig you can make to close up those cracks. Find yourself an old, badly damaged "concert type" guitar that has openings threw the tuning head (you'll have to look=up concert Guitars to see what I mean). Make sure the tuners are still on the tuning head, and are working. Cut off the tuning head and save it, as that will be your repair jig to help put pressure upward (from the inside), on the cracks, pulling them upward to both flatten, and close the cracks upward from inside the Autoharp, where your hands, and fingers can't get to without taking the whole harp apart (and taking apart, is not good, or what you want). Here's a video explaining (in good detail) what to do on your harp (only the repair shown in video, is done on a guitar, not a harp, but same principle of the repair applies, and it works if you take your time, and are handy, which I think you are). If you do the repair carefully, and correctly, you will add both value to your harp, as well as lost, and unwanted tone sounds, due to the cracks now in it. It adds strength, and if done right, won't open up again for at least 50 yrs. if not longer. You can actually hide those cracks so well, that it would take a very close eye to see where they once were. Replace the guitar shown in video, with your own harp, and do the same thing. You will need lights, mirrors, and home-made adjusting tools to both see, and move the repair cleats to properly repair your harp, threw the small open sound hole, where you can't get your hand or fingers. bent Coat-hanger wires, put through the main opening, make excellent cleat movers, and adjusters, so they glue on properly in the right manner they should be glued, as shown in video. Using an old concert guitar head as the puller, from the outside, will flatten the small wrap, and make the back flat again, as well as close the crack for gluing tight. Okay, I hope I gave you something you might ne interested in doing to your old harp, and make it closer to new like condition. Here's the video I speak about. Make sure you save it, so you can referr back to it, when needed. ... th-cam.com/video/NagRfWvxVQ8/w-d-xo.html
If repair is done successfully, I'd invest in a new set of strings, and felt pads, as they last a long time, and your harp will sound a whole lot better. If your going to repair this old harp part way, might as well do a good repair all the way. There are videos on how to change the felt, and also the strings properly .... Good luck.
It will sound MUCH better than any new Oscar Schmidt
you sis a good job with the restoration, but you put the chord bars on backwards. those white chord names face the other way. I didn't stop the video to check if youo got them in order. Nevermind. I am sure you cant play it the way you set it up. I would have put on new strings. They used to cost $36 dollars. Before* This model of yours is one of the best.
Thanks for the heads-up. I admit to not being an auto harp player so ...
I do love bringing instruments back to life! And this project was very rewarding. Thanks for your kind words and for watching!
Did you do anything with that case?
Not yet. It's on my list of things to do. 😀
And why you just ignored the cracks on the back and the front of the instrument? They should be repaired or the sound will not be as good as it should be.
Yes, that's on the list, just not in this video.
Thanks for watching and sharing!