ancient_musical_instruments

How to take care of a talharpa? 🎻

Taking care of an instrument is no trivial matter. Like any wooden item, a talharpa needs to be carefully looked after and protected from:

• heat and cold
• direct sunlight
• moisture and drying out
• mechanical damage

In simple terms: store the instrument at room temperature and normal humidity, and avoid sudden changes.

And don’t forget: the strings and bow need to be rubbed with rosin from time to time. Keep your instrument in good condition — and it will delight you with a beautiful, rich sound for many years!

What rosin should you use for the talharpa? 🎻

The short answer: pretty much any rosin will work.

That said, here’s a quick guideline:

• For bass harps, dark rosin is a popular choice — it’s slightly softer and grippier, which works well with thicker strings.
• For classic talharpas, light rosin is generally recommended — it’s harder and produces a brighter, clearer tone.

But honestly? For bass harps, both light and dark rosin work just fine. It really comes down to personal preference and the sound you’re after.

Try both and see what feels right for your playing style. There’s no wrong choice here! 🎵

Friends, we’d like to remind you that you can upgrade your instrument with a pickup 🎶

A pickup for the talharpa isn’t about changing the sound — it’s about amplifying it and delivering it cleanly to an audio system, especially in modern settings. It solves two key problems:

· Live amplification: Lets you play loud and clear on stage without worrying about acoustic feedback (that dreaded howl), which is inevitable with a microphone due to the large resonant soundboard.

· Recording and processing: Gives you the ability to plug the instrument directly into an audio interface or mixing desk for clean recording or using effects.

Typically, it’s a piezo transducer (pickup) that mounts directly onto the body (on the soundboard or under the tailpiece) and captures the vibrations of the wood.

You can add a pickup when ordering on our website or drop me a DM.

If you’ve ever heard a kravik-lyre at least once, you’ll never confuse that sound with anything else.

Its construction is deceptively simple: an oval body, a straight neck, and long tuning pegs. This silhouette is what makes it instantly recognizable.

The body is most often carved from a single piece of spruce or pine. Solid wood that works as one unified resonator. Seven strings.

The lower strings deliver a deep, slightly raspy bass — like wind in the rocks. The upper ones are clear, soft, without any harshness.

Its tuning is archaic, without semitones, which gives the music a raw and hypnotic quality.

The strings continue to ring for several seconds after your fingers have already left them.

It has no semitones, but it has a soul. And it’s waiting for you to touch it.

We believe that an instrument should please not only the ear but also the eye.

We’re answering frequently asked questions about body decoration.

📍 Placement: In addition to the standard painting on the front soundboard, we also apply lightweight ornaments to the back of the instrument. This adds a unique touch of individuality.

📍 Scale: The possibilities are fully flexible — from a thin, elegant branch to a design covering the entire area of the soundboard. It all depends on your vision.

📍 Design choices:

1. We use popular designs from our standard model range.
2. We combine ornaments from different models on your instrument.
3. We work strictly from your own sketch.

DM us if you’d like to discuss the details of your future design. Always happy to connect 📩

A little about the meanings of Viking patterns, in case you’re considering a Norse design for your future talharpa ⤴️

Carnyx heads were made in the form of wild animals’ heads. The most popular was the head of a boar with an open mouth. Heads of snakes and horses were also found. This zoomorphic design was intended not only to terrify the enemy by its appearance, but also, probably, to symbolize the strength and fury of the animal.