Harp Maintenance and Regulation Services

DEADLINE FOR MAINTENANCE AND REGULATION APPOINTMENTS

MAY 31

Peter Wiley, formerly with Lyon & Healy, will be in Tulsa before and during part of the festival week for anyone who would like his/her pedal or lever harp regulated or serviced.

Warranty Regulation Service Charge    $0 travel fee

(This must be pre-approved by the factory. Type of harp, serial number, and date of purchase must accompany your regulation request.)

Wire String Changes                               $45

Standard Pedal Regulations                $265

Lever Harp Maintenance        To be determined by the work to be completed.

About Peter Wiley

Peter Wiley was employed by Lyon & Healy Harps for over twenty years. Working primarily in the regulation/assembly department he served as an apprentice. After ten years he was honored with the title Master Regulator. While at the factory he also worked in the action/mechanism department and as the Final Production Manager. In 1988 he took over the Lyon & Healy Road Service Program which gave him the experience of getting to work with harpists in North America from NYC to LA as well as abroad in Japan, Korea, Australia and Israel. Mr. Wiley has also had the pleasure of being the harp technician for five USA International Harp Competitions and two International Harp Competitions in Israel. During his time as the Chief Harp Technician for Lyon & Healy he continuously worked with most of the major U.S. orchestras and many international orchestras including the Symphony Orchestras of: Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, Pittsburgh, Dallas Israel Philharmonic and the Sydney Symphony. Working with the major harp colleges such as Indiana University, the Julliard School, the Eastman School of Music and the Curtis Institute he began presenting "Harp Care" classes back in 1990. He has also been a guest speaker at three American Harp Society National Conferences as well as a World Harp Congress.  For more information on Peter and his services, visit his web site, www.harpdoc.com.  

Things to consider when you are going to have your harp regulated or serviced:

String condition. Look at the harp strings closely.  Where the discs touch the strings, the strings often become worn.  Nylon strings can be grooved.  When strings are worn, frayed, dirty, change them about two weeks before the regulation.  In any event the strings in the upper 3 octaves should be changed if they are more than two years old.  Nylon strings on the pedal harp from 2nd octave G and lower often result in the sharp pitches regulating our too sharp. The pedal harp will have better pitch regulation with gut strings through the 2nd octave (nylon is advised for the first octave strings).

The reason for this is that aged strings can become "false" - a condition where the strings can not vibrate in tune properly thus leading to bad sound and often the idea that the harp needs regulation when the problem might be with the strings themselves.  Regulation or control of a false string is impossible.  It is good to bring your extra strings to the appointment.

Wire Strings. The regulator can replace your wire strings during the regulation process.  The fee for wire string installation is $45.

Restringing.  If you would like your harp completely restrung, the instrument will need to be left with the regulator for at least 3 days.  Contact the Midwest Harp Festival for this fee.

Tuning  Please see that the harp is holding tune before the regulation appointment.  It is helpful to tune the harp the day of the appointment.

Appointment Time and Place.  We like to have the harp for 3 hours to do the regulation work.,  You will need to bring your harp to the location where the technician will be working.

Payment   Payment is made at the time of service.  It may be made by cash or check made to Peter Wiley. 

Peter Wiley works independent of the Midwest Harp Festival.  He is at ORU as a courtesy to area harpists and registrants.  All payment and regulation or repair concerns need to be addressed Directly with Peter.