Everything you wanted to know about changing bass wires...

Bell of Bell harp tech will be coming to Columbus this weekend for his annual regulation trip and I'll be hosting him again this year.  Prior to regulation happening it's expected that the harpist change any strings prior to the regulation to obtain optimal results.  As a general rule of thumb I always try to change my bass wires yearly.  Below you'll see the process step by step, enjoy!

First you need the proper tools.  The right tools make the job easier, such tools include needle nose pliers, heavy duty wire cutters, tuning key, and goggles.

Then the fun begins..you start by lowering the tension on the string you intend to change and cutting the wire below the mechanism and above the soundboard.

This next picture shows evidence of wear and tear indicating the string needs to be changed.  You begin by threading the wire through the underside of the soundboard.  You want to make sure you leave enough slack to ensure at least three winds around the tuning pin, you should leave an octave and a half for optimum windings.

Once you have the required slack and the wire is threaded through the string post you should bend the wire to the left and form a 90 degree angle and begin making your revolutions.  Then take your wire cutters and cut as close to the tuning pin as possible.

Continue changing the wires one at a time.  If you adhere to the octave and a half rule you should end up with uniform even revolutions.  Once all the wires are changed congratulate yourself on a job well done!