The Custom Harp builder, Glenn J. Hill of Mountain Glen Harps

New custom , steel strung, humbucker pickups , harness mounted, Double action Pitch Bend harp arrives in Holland ! :-)

2011-07-02T21:13:00.000-07:00

I just completed a 32 steel stung electric Double action Pitch Bend harp, for a client in Holland. It has 24 strings with spring loaded pitch bend levers on the bottom ends of those strings. Eight of the strings are just normal electric strings. The strings are all electric guitar and electric bass strings. there are 8 Seymour Duncan humbucker pickups on an adjustable support bar just above the sound box. It is harness mounted and will be used with a cordless sound system to play blues and jazz. The owner will debut with it at the World Harp congress in Vancouver BC, in late July. The finish is flat low gloss balance, with carved and painted gold Harley Davidson flames on both sides of the pillar.

A bit of painting, on both a harp and on board ! :-)

2011-06-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

Here is one of my acrylic paintings on board. This one is titled 'Beginnings' It incorporates experiences I had when I died for five minutes, back in 1999. I had anaphylactic attack, and went code blue in the ER, at about sundown on Yom Kippur. At the time I did not know that part of my family was of Jewish ancestry.


This is a shot of a custom harp I created last year, the 'Jewel Harp'. This carved Cherry wood ,nylon strung harp has various gem stones set into the carving, including pearls and diamonds, citrins and garnets, some with gold settings. The sound board and part of the carving is also painted.

Here below you can see photos:, of a just completed, in the spring of 2011, custom carved King David Laser Beam Harp. This harp is now installed under a stone archway in the Jewish Children`s Museum in Brooklyn NY. The exhibit should be open in the summer of 2011. It has 7 green 5mw lasers with 7 sensors. It is carved from Oregon Myrtle wood, to look as if it was made from a branch of an olive tree, complete with leaves and olives. Much of the carving is also gilded. The carved Hebrew lettering refers to King David. This laser harp is designed to look like it could be a harp with strings, thus the carved 'tuning pegs'. King David Laser HarpKing David Laser HarpKing David Laser HarpKing David Laser HarpKing David Laser Harp being installed in the JCM Museum For Science and Children`s MuseumsHere below you can see photos:, of a just completed, in the spring of 2011, custom carved King David Laser Beam Harp. This harp is now installed under a stone archway in the Jewish Children`s Museum in Brooklyn NY. The exhibit should be open in the summer of 2011. It has 7 green 5mw lasers with 7 sensors. It is carved from Oregon Myrtle wood, to look as if it was made from a branch of an olive tree, complete with leaves and olives. Much of the carving is also gilded. The carved Hebrew lettering refers to King David. This laser harp is designed to look like it could be a harp with strings, thus the carved 'tuning pegs'. King David Laser HarpKing David Laser HarpKing David Laser HarpKing David Laser HarpKing David Laser Harp being installed in the JCM Museum For Science and Children`s Museums

2011-06-04T19:24:00.001-07:00

Here below you can see photos:, of a just completed, in the spring of 2011, custom carved King David Laser Beam Harp. This harp is now installed under a stone archway in the Jewish Children`s Museum in Brooklyn NY. The exhibit should be open in the summer of 2011.

It has 7 green 5mw lasers with 7 sensors. It is carved from Oregon Myrtle wood, to look as if it was made from a branch of an olive tree, complete with leaves and olives. Much of the carving is also gilded. The carved Hebrew lettering refers to King David. This laser harp is designed to look like it could be a harp with strings, thus the carved 'tuning pegs'.

For Science and Children`s Museums

New Performance Laser Beam Harp for Stage Performing

2010-08-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

New model for Stage Performances with a Laser Harp on Stage

We have designed a new framed Laser Harp model that will not look "Framed", with the harp being all stainless steel in construction.

The design has a waist high stainless steel control console, that is only four inches deep, by fourteen inches wide, by 5 feet long. The control console is supported by stainless support pieces that angle out as they stretch up to 10 feet above the players head, until they terminate at 12 feet wide at the top, where a connecting piece ties them together.

The 8 green lasers ( can be set up with Green or Red Lasers, or a mixture of both), shine up in a fan shape from the control console, to terminate at 8 optic sensors on the top piece. The lasers also will produce visually pleasing 'over splash' of green laser light, flashing over the heads of your audience, reflecting off the top Stainless Steel cross piece.

The lasers are triggered by breaking the beams at any point in their transit to the optic sensors, triggering any type of media, audio or visual , in loops, sequences, single note/ sound, up to 70 times per second. The fully programmable software is installed in the compact lap top computer that is installed in the control console( removable for transport). The software includes a wave file editor and a built-in synthesizer.

The lasers can also be reflected to additional optic sensors that are mounted in the control console surface, using the analog effect of changing voltage produced by different levels of laser light reflected to these sensors. This analog aspect of the software can produce variable pitch and volume change in the already triggered sounds and sequences produced by breaking the beams that shine at the top set of sensors, as well as additional variable sounds and image projections.
This reflecting can be done with just the bare hands, though reflective gloves can be worn to add to the effect and visual appeal. ( The low powered lasers used are considered safe by the US FDA, to interact with, with bare hands).The reflected green laser beams also will flash off the Stainless Steel control consul surface, adding additional flashes of brilliant green Laser Light.

There is in addition a set of four control buttons or pedals that can be triggered to change the programming of all 16 sensor channels to an entirely new set of music/ sounds/ notes/ video and still imagery.

Visual imagery and audio sounds can be triggered at the same time in all channels.

Imagine,..... eight Green lasers shooting up in a spreading fan of brilliant green Light, to sensors overhead, and the stainless steel top rib reflecting and splitting the over-splash of the beams to shine all over and above the audience in a performing space...you break those beams, trigger waves of music chords, sounds of space and nature, while also with the same beams triggering visual projectors to display large images moving on the scrim at the back of your stage,...... while the Brilliant Green Laser Beams you are breaking are also being reflected to other sensors on your control console to trigger secondary programming, including volume /pitch change via the level of reflected Laser Light. All the while, the over splash form the Green Lasers is flashing off the highly reflective Steel.

All of this in a streamlined space-age very slim and low profile, stainless steel frame ! ;-)
The software we use has the capacity to respond to a break of a laser beam up to 70 times per second. You can program up to 60 events per 'song', with an endless number of possible 'song' combination of any type of audio-visual event, image, video, sound sampled wave files, etc. The software is fully programmable with an on-screen syntheses and wave file editor, available to pre-program an endlessVarietyy of sound and visual scapes of any type of audio or visual event file or element.. This Laser Light Harp model will have 16 channels available. Our software can control three LCD or other type of projectors from one lap top, computer when an extra video card is installed.

This all Stainless Steel, modular/foldable, compact for transport Laser Harp, with 8 Green and/or Red lasers and 16 audio/visual trigger channels, fully equipped with laptop computer & software multimedia controller system, can be custom ordered for US$19,000. Shipping is extra.

New 'Plug And Play' Laser Beam Harp Installations for Science and Children`s Museums

2010-08-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

For Science and Children`s Museums

For installation in your Science or Children`s Museum, we can design a compact lap or floor sized laser harp that looks just like a harp. The cabinet and Harp are both constructed form very durable Rock Maple, finished with tough Poly finish, and can be colored with a wide range of colored stains or tints.

We can build for you a compact self contained unit of a beautiful hardwood base cabinet that houses all the electronics, computer and stereo sound system, with a Laser Beam Light Harp mounted securely to the top. This option is all self contained, needing only a AC power jack in the floor below the cabinet ( either 110 or 220, a step down transformer will be supplied in the case of 220 power). This Laser Harp comes with full instruction/installation manual including photos, and is 'plug and play', with full functioning assembly taking only an hour or two.

The software we use has the capacity to respond to a break of a laser beam up to 70 times per second. You can program up to 60 events per 'song', with an endless number of possible 'song' combination of any type of audio-visual event, image, video, sound sampled wave files, etc. The software is fully programmable with an on-screen syntheses and wave file editor, available to pre-program an endless Variety of sound and visual-scapes of any type of audio or visual event file or element. The software comes with many pre-programmed 'song' selections, and is fully custom programmable for your needs.

This system with 8 red and/or green Lasers, comes fully equipped, ready to 'plug & play', for US$14,800 . Shipping is extra, but with a compact shipping crate, can be easily shipped worldwide.

www.laserharps.com

This is a new custom caved 30 string nylon harp under construction, the "Jewel Harp", to be decoreted with precious gem stones.

2010-07-14T09:48:00.000-07:00

This is a new custom caved 30 string nylon harp under construction. It is being built from Myrtle wood. tech carved parts will have various gem stones , some with gold settings, as part of the carved shapes, and flowing whirls of wood. The stones include diamonds, amethyst, citrines, rubies and sapphires.

In these first shots, I have just laminated the extra wood needed to allow me to carve the final shapes from. teh last two pictures show the carving part way done.

New Design for Framed Laser Beam Light Harp, all Stainless Steel construction.

2010-07-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

I have designed a new framed Laser Harp model that will not look "Framed", with
the harp being all stainless steel in construction. The design has a
waist high stainless steel control console, that is only four inches
deep, by fourteen inches wide, by 5 feet long. The control console is
supported by stainless support... pieces that angle out as they stretch up
to 10 feet above the players head, until they terminate at 12 feet wide
at the top, where a connecting pieces ties them together.

The 8 green lasers shine up in a fan shape from the control console, to terminate at 8 optic sensors on the top piece. The lasers are triggered by breaking the beams at any point in their transit to the optic sensors, triggering any type of media, audio or visual , in loops, sequences, single note/ sound, up to 70 times per second. The fully ... See More programmable software is installed in the compact lap top computer that is installed in the control console( removable for transport). The software includes a wave file editor and a built-in either. The lasers can also be reflected to additional optic sensors that are mounted in the control console surface, using the analog effect of changing voltage produced by different levels of laser light reflected to these sensors. This analog aspect of the software can produce variable pitch and volume change in the already triggered sounds and sequences produced by breaking the beams that shine at the top set of sensors. There is in addition a set of four control buttons or pedals that can be triggered to change the programing of all 16 sensor channels to an entirely new set of music/ sounds/ notes/ video and still imagery. Visual imagery and audio sounds can be triggered at the same time in all channels.

This Laser Harp model is available by custom order, for $18,000 .

Cherry Red Electro-acoustic harp

2010-07-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of a 36 string Cherry Red electro-acoustic harp I am working on currently.Here below you can see the drawings for the sound board paintings. The paintings will be over the natural Spruce, framed by it, with the whole sound board then being lacquer over the acrylic paint.

Photos of JCM Laser Harp under construction

2010-07-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

Here is the JCM Laser Harp in it`s first stage of construction. This Laser Harp will have 7 low powered green lasers shinning onto optic sensors, with the laser beams looking like harp strings. The Myrtle wood will be carved to look like it was carved form the trunk and branch of an Olive tree, complete with small branches with leaves and olives ! ;-)

Photos of JCM Laser Harp under construction

2010-07-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

2010-07-14T09:06:00.003-07:00

I am just completing the assembllyof a Laser Harp I am building for the Jewish children`s Museum in Brooklyn NY. I will add more wood to create the main body part and then start to carve away all the wood that dose not look like a Lyre made from part of an olive Tree. It will have small branches with leaves and olives ...with Gilding, all made from Myrtle wood, with 7 green Laser beams to trigger music 'played'.

Completed Cambria 34 Harp, Cherry wood, Spruce Sound board, full set of Camac levers.

2010-05-05T17:10:00.000-07:00

This is a completed Cambria 34 Harp, built from all solid Cherry wood, with a solid Spruce Sound board, and a full set of Camac sharping levers.
The strings are nylon, with wrapped metal base strings, with a note range from fifth octave -C, up to A.. The string tension is medium-high, typical of most of the lever harps being played today. The string spacing is a comfortable spacing that any harpists can play easily, not too wide or too narrow.

We sell these harp models in three sizes, 22, 29 and 34 strings, and the 22 string model is also available in a wire strung version. The 29 and 34 string models are available in four different stages of construction, as well as just blue prints and instruction manuals. The 22 string models are just available as Stage I kits, which consist of everything a builder needs but the wood. The 29 & 34 string kits are also available this way. A Stage I kit can be easily sent anywhere in the world, since the package is very compact.

The Stage II kits for the 29 & 34 have all the wood supplied, with some of the hardest parts done. All the pieces are cut out, and the sides of the sound box are glued to the end blocks.

The Stage III kits come to the builder almost finished, with only two small glue joints to assemble. All the hardware and string holes are pre-drilled and tested. All the rough sanding is finished for you, with just the fine sanding and clear lacquering to be done, along with the hardware and string installation. The fully complete Cambria 29 & 34 models are our Stage IV kits, ready to be played!

Please see our Cambria Harp Kits & Plans website for more detailed information ! :-) http://www.markwoodstrings.com/cambri...

Here is a video I just uploaded to Youtube, of me playing this harp ! :-)

2010-02-25T13:56:00.001-08:00

I currently have a custom Electro-acoustic 36 string harp, one completed custom Laser beam harp, and two Custom Wire Strung harps available for sale and ready to be shipped.

Custom Black Walnut Acoustic-electric 36 nylon Strings

One of my clients has let me know that he needs to sell an electro-acoustic harp I built for him a few years ago. It is 36 nylon strings, with medium to high string tension, built from Black Walnut, with a solid spruce sound board. It has a full set of Loveland sharping levers.

The decoration, as you can see, is designed in a Bamboo style, with Bamboo shaped back sound joles, relief carving on the side of the pillar. There are also mini partially pierced sound holes/ carvings with black detailing, on the sound board.

The sound system is dual output stereo/mono, using the individual RMC string transducers. This is the same system that Lyon & Healy uses on their electric harps.

It is for sale ...for $4,900 plus shipping from the SF bay region of Northern California.

Please contact me for information on how you may contact the owner, to talk to him, or to see and play this harp in person, if you are in the area.

Custom Carved Myrtle wood Laser Harp with 8 green Lasers.

This is a Carved Myrtle wood Laser Harp with 8 green Lasers. Here shown both with fog and the lasers running, and with no fog and the lasers turned off.

I rarely build a Custom Harp that has not been commissioned. But this is one I just built in the fall of 2009 to show at a Science and Technology Center Conference in Texas. It is styled a bit like one that I am building for the 'Jewish Children`s Museum' in NY, NY. That commissioned project will be carved to look like the harp was carved from an olive tree trunk/branches , with lots of Organic detail.

This harp is about 38 inches tall, designed to be installed on the top of a display cabinet or counter, about four high. The supplied software and midi controller will respond to breaks of the laser beams up to 70 times per second. Up to 60 sound or visual 'events', can be programmed for each laser beam, and their is a supplied four-button control box, that can be mounted with the harp, that allows museum patrons to scroll through as many different programs as you desire, or both sound and visuals. The system can control up to three LCD or similar type projectors, via a computer, to allow the lasers to trigger still or video images. With three projectors you can create almost a full immersion experience.

The lasers and sensor as both mounted in such a way that they are protected from damage via exploring fingers or other objects.

Please see my Laser Harp page for specs on all the midi/multimedia control equipment and software that is included with this Laser Harp.

It is currently for sale and available for $15,000, complete with software and all multimedia control equipment, ready to hook to a Laptop computer and sound system.

Thirty Three strings, Rock Maple Bronze wire strung harp

his harp shown above is a wire strung harp built from Birds eye Rock Maple with a solid Spruce sound board a full set of Loveland levers. these is also colorful Celtic designs painted on the sound board. It is in Brand New condition.

This unusual wire strung harp is built from Rock Maple with Solid Spruce sound board. It also has a complete set of 33 Loveland sharpening levers. The note range is from Fourth Octave C, up to First Octave A.
The combination of the spruce sound board with the rock Maple sound box, gives this harp a bright bell-like sound, but without too much over ring, that you can have from a hardwood sound board. The Loveland levers work perfectly for Bronze wire strings, and This harp has a beautiful five sided staved sound box, with the highly decorative wood grain that Birds Eye Maple wood is know for. Bird`s Eye Maple is highly figured, with many different shades and tones of golden-white and brown.

This harp was built to be comfortable to be played with the finger tips or nails. the string spacing is perfectly placed for either playing style. There is a solid Spruce sound board, made from Old Growth Engelmann Spruce, with very tight growth rings. This marvelous tone wood has been air- dried for at least twenty years. The Spruce was used to balance with the Maple, for a sound that is bright and carries well, but that does not have excessive over-ring.

The full set of Loveland levers give you a fully levered bronze wire strung harp, for the most flexibility in playing any type of music. The Loveland Levers work extremely well on bronze strings, when the lever set is designed and installed properly. They are very gentle on the bronze strings, since they do not force the strings in pushing direction. Instead these levers gently cradle the strings, producing a solid tone when engaged, giving you all the normal key changes that lever harps are able to do.
The sound board is beautifully painted with Celtic designs, in a tasteful blend of Red, Green and Blue colors. this harp comes with a custom Blue colored soft padded case, and a custom shaped tuning key, also made from figured Maple.

Please call or write me if you would like more information on this harp!

Regular Price: $4,800.00
Sale Price: $3,000.00

Shipping cost to be determined at time of purchase.
Location of harp is Southern Oregon, near Ashland & California border.

Custom 20 wire strings Myrtle Wood Harp

This little wire strung lap harp is designed to be comfortable to be played with the finger tips and/or fingernails. There is a full set of Loveland sharping levers, which work very well with the bronze strings. The sound board is Engelmann Spruce, which matches very well with the Oregon Myrtle wood sound box, neck and pillar. The Spruce give a very nice sound that does not over-ring, sounding much like the ancient Willow wood wire strung harps of Ireland. The Loveland levers work well as they are set up to have just a gentle but clear, one point contact to the wire strings, which prevents crimping. The decoration on this harp consist of a spray of carved leaves on top of the harp neck, and an inlayed and engraved Star pattern of Koa and Holly wood veneers, with Celtic knot work inside the design. The harp is equipped with a Myrtle wood display cradle to rest in.

This harp is for sale for $1,500, not including shipping.

It is currently located in MA, on the American East Coast, and will be shipped form there. If you are in that area of the country, and would like to see this harp in person, I can put you in contact with the owner to make arrangements.

Working on new Pentatonic Harp design in my shop today

2010-01-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

I am creating a design/drawing for a client today in my shop, for a large Double Pentatonic harp. It will have 5 octaves, with 60 strings in total, set up with the longest string in the middle, and then with two identical string sets in one line going out from that middle string, like a mirror image of each other. These nylon and composite metal strings will be set into an oval neck frame, with the sounding box at the bottom of the harp. It will be about 68 inches tall. the tuning pegs will be in the top of the neck, along with bridge pins. There will be no levers, since the tuning is to be only played pentatonic.

I am not sure if this one will be built, as the clinet has nto yet decided which way he wants to go, with a more typical double harp, or with this approach! :-)

New Mountain Glen Custom harp page on Facebook

2010-01-10T23:35:00.000-08:00

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=name&id=1647122326#/pages/Mountain-Glen-Harps-LLC-Custom-one-of-a-kind-Harps/397266495566?ref=mf

Facebook | LaserHarps LLC, Custom one-of-a-kind Multimedia Laser Beam Harps

2010-01-10T23:24:00.000-08:00

Facebook | LaserHarps LLC, Custom one-of-a-kind Multimedia Laser Beam Harps

New web site up and running !! New photos of harps under construction too !

2010-01-10T09:23:00.000-08:00

OK, got my Totally new web sites up and running, a couple days ago, both www.laserharps.com, and wwwmountainglenharps.com

If you catch any typos, please let me know !! :-)

And here are a couple of shots of two harps on my workbench that are almost finished!

One is a 34 string Cherry wood harp that will be nylon strung, with Camac levers.

The other is a Carved Cherry wood 33 string nylon strung acoustic-electric-midi harp, that is also set up with 6 green lasers. This is a first of a kind hybrid string/laser harp that anyone has built. It has the capacity for each string to send out a midi signal coded to the string`s pitch, that can allow the harp to play any sounds to go with the strings, in harmony with those notes generated by the strings. There is a set of 7 triple slide switches , that act as 'midi pedals' to sharp or flat all the midi signals for all the C`s, D`s, ect, so that the midi signals are the same pitch as the strings are when their levers are flipped up.

The lasers will allow the triggering of any back ground musical or natural sounds, and /or projected video and still images, to go with the music being played. This harp is a custom creation for a Harpists who plays Nature oriented Celtic music. So for example she might be playing Celtic music while she is triggering back ground sounds of ocean waves, while one-to-three LCD projectors are showing video of a seas shore scene.

The multimedia controller that goes with the Lasers actually has 12 channels available , with 6 being used by lasers, and the other 6 being used in this harp by a multi-channel midi pedal. the Harpist will be able to use this pedal to capture and trigger loops of music she has just played, to accompany herself. The triggering can be via one of the lasers beams, that can have up to 60 sequences of sound or images programed on it. The Lasers will also react to their light being broken, to trigger sound or video, up to 70 times per second.

When this harp is finished, I will be posting videos of it being played, with haze to illuminate the lasers. There are two green Lasers that shoot up the soundboard, to sensors hidden under the carved leaves that you see in the picture. Those beams will reflect off the lacquer of the soundboard to give the harp soundboard a green glow, to go along with the gold of the Spruce soundboard. The harp has cared cherry wood leaves all over the carving, which when finished will have touches of mother-of-pearl based green paint to highlight their veins and edges. So the finished harp will be Rich Red Cherry wood with iridescent green highlights in places, with a gold Spruce sound board and with a green halo to the whole instrument, when the lasers are lit!! :-)

New Photos of my latest Laser Harp

2010-01-04T16:26:00.000-08:00

I have been deep in the depths of HTML code, working on my web site , that is only three years behind !! But........ it should be up tonight. Right now we are having a problem with FireFox Not showing the background color, but if you use Internet Explore, you can see it right now at this address: www.mountainglenharps.com/index.htm

Meanwhile here are a couple of photos of this latest Laser Harp:

2009-05-16T19:09:00.000-07:00

String Theory

Phoenix harp builder searches

for the right sound

By Sanne Specht

Mail Tribune
March 29, 2009 6:00 AM

Birds twitter from branches atop a leafless tree, their songs mingling
with the classical music that spills through the open door of the
harp maker's garage workshop.

The real world blending of natural sounds and man-made music
reflects Glenn Hill's passion — creating one-of-a-kind,
hand-carved harps that do the same.

"I make between six or eight of them a year," says Hill,
stroking a harp's carved wooden leaves, an important part
of the "Lord of the Rings" motif of this
soon-to-be completed, commissioned instrument.

During a 30-year span, the Phoenix harp maker has created
about 325 carved and sculpted harps made in single,
double or cross-strung versions which can
range in price — depending on size and complexity — from $1,825
to $26,000.

Hill's unique harps incorporate traditional acoustic strings,
or electric strings and/or laser "strings" to create a wide
array of sounds.

"The first thing I do is design the string set," Hill says. "It has to have
the right feel, the right tension, the right sound."

Harpists typically will hold the instrument on their right shoulder,
plucking the upper
register strings with their right hand, and the lower bass strings
with their left hand,
he says.

"The chords are similar to a piano," Hill notes. "Except you pluck
strings toward yourself instead of pressing down on the keys."

Hill also makes "stringless" laser harps with bands of colored light
that burst forth in a variety of sounds, or even sights,
with the simple wave of a hand.

Breaking the laser beam allows the artist to trigger any of a series of
pre-determined/
pre-recorded sounds, such as wind rustling through leaves, water
rushing over rocks
or even the soulful wail of a pre-recorded James Brown.
The technology allows harpists to incorporate virtually
any sound into their music, Hill says.

In the case of his latest commission, Hill is incorporating a few
colored "strings" of the laser technology into the more traditional
acoustic and digital stringing of the instrument.
Natural sounds will likely be the musician's selection
for her laser "strings," he adds.

"She is a Celtic harpist who likes to play music that is
nature-oriented," Hill says.

Hill, who admits to having only a "noodling" ability with the
instruments himself, built his first harp in 1978 while living
at a "yoga-based monastic community" in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Although he had never taken woodworking, the community
workshop called to Hill.

"I made my first few harps there," he says.

His first harp was made without much knowledge or a good
construction plan, Hill said.

"The first harp I made is probably in pieces somewhere
out in the desert in Nevada."

But in 1985, Hill got serious about crafting quality, hand-carved
wooden instruments
when he entered the Violin Making School of America in
Salt Lake City. He studied
at the prestigious school for two years, he says. It is there he
met Yo-Yo Ma, the French-born, Chinese-American virtuoso
cellist and composer. Yo-Yo Ma is also
highly accomplished on the piano, viola and violin, and the winner
of multiple Grammy Awards.

"I learned a lot," says Hill, who moved to the Rogue Valley
in 1987 and started making
harps full time in 1991.

In 1990, Hill built his first laser-beam harp. He has created
two more since then —
both are public art pieces.

The first is in the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester,
N.Y. Installed as a
part of the permanent display in Reading Adventureland,
the laser harp sits at the
top of a giant's castle.

"That one is carved to look like the giant's harp in Jack and the
Bean Stalk,"
says Hill.

The museum's senior exhibit designer, Kevin Murphy, says
Hill's harp is a hit with
the kids familiar with the famous fable. Children scramble past a
10-foot-tall giant, climb to the top of the castle,
"and play the magic harp," he says.

"They love it," says Murphy. "It's a very popular feature of the show."

Another of Hill's laser harps is at a children's hospital in
Virginia Beach, Virginia.

In its simplest form, a laser harp is a light-controlled switch,
Hill says. When a beam is interrupted or broken —
for example by a hand passing through — a signal
is sent to a computer, which serves as the controller unit,
Hill explains.

"This beam interaction can trigger sound, lighting, visual images,
video, special
effects, smoke, pyrotechnics and other digital applications —
all in real time," Hill says.

The nature of the sound is dependent on the synthesizer or
sampling device, and
the amplifier and speaker setup, Hill says.

"If you plug the harp into the back of an inexpensive keyboard
synthesizer, you
will hear the usual keyboard-synthesized sounds when you play
the harp," Hill says.
"If you plug the harp into a newer rack-mounted synthesizer,
some very convincing sounds will be produced."

Exciting possibilities result from plugging the harp into a computer
that is running audio production software, says Hill,
playing a snippet of a video. Hill chuckles as James Brown vocals
began to play when his laser harp is activated.

Hundreds of scrolling templates adorn the walls in Hill's Phoenix
garage workshop.
At a nearby table, Hill studies a series of blueprints
for commissioned harps which have been paid for —
but have yet to be built.

The process of creation is collaborative, Hill says.
He consults with his clients, makes the initial drawings,
and then sends them to his customers for their
input and approval.

Hill points to a blueprint which is about to be turned
into a template. Once built, the
harp will be painted in vivid hues at the request of the musician, Hill says.

"She wants it to be bright red with no wood showing except for
painted imagery and little red rhinestones,"
he says, with a grin and a grimace.

Hill will follow the harpist's request. But he's making the harp
out of cherry wood
so if the woman changes her mind about the red paint,
the wood will be similar in color, Hill says.

Another harp, also fully paid for, has been years in the design stage.
This one will have 34 strings and a unicorn with a flowing mane carved
into the top. The notes on the blueprint request that Hill
insert citrine or blue topaz stones for the unicorn's eyes.

"I've got a lot to do," says Hill. "Luckily, people understand there
is a waiting list for custom-made harps."

Reach reporter Sanne Specht at 776-4497
or e-mail sspecht@mailtribune.com.

Find out more

If you're interested in the harps built by Glenn Hill, call 541-535-7700
or visit www.mountainglenharps.com.

Progress on New Kind of Harp with Lasers and Strings! ;-)

2009-03-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

I am just about ready to start cutting out the beautiful Cherry Wood that I will use for this harp.

And meanwhile I have been ordering in the six green lasers, and other electronics that will be installed in this harp. We have also been working on which external manual midi controller to use with this harp, to allow the harpist to change program settings and all.

Usually my Laser Harp installations are set up with some kind of button array, to allow the Museum patrons ( or just the staff), to push a button to change the programing of all of the Laser beams. But in this case, with this new kind of Laser Harps, with playable strings, which is designed for stage performance, we needed a different set up.

After much thought, We have decided to use the "Behringer FCB1010 MIDI Foot Controller", which has these features:

It has 10 banks of 10 presets, with plenty of storage space. Each preset can send 5 MIDI program change commands and 2 MIDI control commands simultaneously so one can configure an entire synth rack with one stomp.

2 expression pedals independently control any MIDI channel, controller number, and range. The footswitches can also be configured to send MIDI note numbers, perfect for tap-tempo functions. 2 programmable, relay-controlled footswitch jacks are great for switching guitar amp channels via MIDI!

Behringer FCB1010 MIDI Foot Controller Features:

* 10 banks of presets
* 2 expression pedals with freely assignable MIDI channel, controller number, and range
* Simultaneous transmission of five MIDI program change commands and two MIDI control commands per preset
* MIDI note-on commands for trigger and tap-tempo applications
* 2 programmable, relay-controlled switch jacks
* MIDI merge function allows for "soft through" and merging of controller and input data

Among other things this midi foot pedal controller can do with this new type of harp, is to allow the harpist to play a whole series of harp chords and melody patterns with a pedal engaged, and then to send it through the laptop computer, into the software, out the Laser midi controller to allow her to then trigger one of the lasers to play the music she just created, as a continuous background loop to go with the additional harp music she is playing with it. She will also be able to trigger background sampled nature sounds such as ocean waves and bird song, along with videos projected from her LCD projector.

The harpist I am building this harp for will be taking it to Ireland in May. So if you are reading this blog in Ireland, please look for this harp being played by Talia Rose sometime in May of this year! :-)

Laser Harpingly yours, Glenn

New Ultra-Sonic triggering to be added to my Laser Harp installation possibilities

2009-03-11T22:59:00.000-07:00

I am going to be experimenting with another new to me technology, using ultrasonic sound field triggering, to trigger sounds and visual imagery.

This ultrasonic field can be set to trigger from 3 to 60 feet away, and different notes or sounds can be programed to change every few feet. It can also be programed to have a 'no action zone' of whatever size you wish, so that the trigger zone is across a room from the sending/ receiving device. The actual triggering is via moving through the 'field' of sent and reflected ultrasonic sound.The exact sounds and visuals triggered can depend on just how you move your body, arms and legs, and how fast. It was first developed to use with dancers.

It is also controlled, as is my OptiMusic midi controller and software, by a compact midi controller and software that runs on a laptop computer.

This technology could be used to create a sonic field of event/sound/visual triggering, around and before a museum patron even approaches the actual laser harp installation. this would add a deeper layer of experience to the children and adults who interact with an installation, as well as being an way to teach about both Lasers and Ultrasound.

I may seek to use it for the first time in my local Science Museum, Science Works, in a project for 2010.

But first I will buy a set up to experiment with in my Lab/ workshop! :-)

Glenn

King David Laser Harp on Hold again, perhaps latter in March to start !

2009-03-10T11:36:00.000-07:00

My King David Project for a Museum in New York is on hold again, but it is under contract, and should happen perhaps latter in March or early April. along with my other Laser Harp projects this harp will be using the OptiMusic midi controller and software.

Mean while it`s back to the work shop ! ;-) I have five custom harps a-building on my workbench right now !

Glenn

Ancient King David/Egyptian Style Laser Harp

2009-02-05T12:20:00.000-08:00

This project is still happening, I am working on the detail design drawings right now. I will be ordering the electronics and laser next week

When I start to build the harp, I will be loading a whole series of drawings, starting with teh rough lumber being used! ;-)

Glenn

Harp with strings and laser beams! Update!!

2009-02-05T12:04:00.000-08:00

Ok, this one is moving on nicely !

The project is progressing, I have the drawings completed and they are with my client for her to look over for approval. We are designing this harp to be played on it`s flat base, or with it placed on top of the mini cabinet that will hold the lap top computer and midi controller set -up. The harp will lock to the mini cabinet with 4 thumb screws, that will be inside the top of the cabinet, and will screw into threaded inserts inset in the bottom of the base of the harp. The cables for the midi signals and power for the 6 lasers will connect to the midi controller and AC power surge protector in the cabinet. If the harp is set on it`s own base then these connecting cables will just go out the lower back sound hole.

The stereo /mono sound connection will be via two jacks on the lower outside of th eback of the sound box.

My client has requested that the base of the pillar to have roots that will spread out over the bottom end of the sound board. this is easily done, and I have done this on other carved harps I have created.

The harp and cabinet will be made of Cherry wood, with a solid Spruce sound board on the harp. The Spruce I use is 30 years air-dried, to be very stable. It also has very narrow tight growth rings. Both of these aspects help this tome wood to produce the very richest sound possible.

The harp will weigh only about 18 to 20 lbs , even with the pillar and neck carved with tree/branch/ leaves carving.

I just ordered the midi controller and software from OptiMusic in London, and will be ordering the 6 green lasers, and the indiviual string transducers from RMC Pickups in Berkley CA.

I will be picking out the Cherry wood next week to start to build!

Let em know any questions or thoughts that you have !

This new type of harp is patent pending.

Glenn

Another new project !!:-) Strings And laser beams !!

2009-01-06T09:39:00.000-08:00

OK, now this one is a first, a combination laser harp, and a harp with strings too !

The commission is for a 33 string acoustic-electric harp with 33 individual RMC peizo transducers, that also has 6 low-powered green lasers built-into the harp.

Four of these laser will be set in-line, below the bass harp string, #33, making them 'strings' number 34,35,36, and 37, and the other two will be installed, with one on each side of the sound board. The ones on the sound board will each be aimed down, from the top end to the bass end, running just above the surface of the sound board, down the middle of each side.
All six will be aimed at optic sensors that have filters over them to just admit the laser light, so the harp can be played in even the brightest lighting conditions, with no false triggering of the sensors, when the laser beams are blocked by the players hand.

OK, so why lasers on an acoustic -electric harp ?? Well they will be used by this harpist to trigger background natural sample sounds like ocean waves and bird sounds in the woods, the wind in the trees, etc.

The lasers will also be used to trigger video and still images projected with an LCD projector. This will be done with the custom OptiMusic midi controller and software I use.

The harpist will also have 6 floor pedals available to allow her to change the programed sounds and visuals for each piece of music she plays, and to also trigger other lighting changes on stage as well.

The harp itself will be carved like a tree trunk, with branches and leaves, out of Cherry wood, with a solid Spruce sound board. But it will weight less than 20lbs.

This new harp design is patent pending.

Let me know what you think !

Glenn

P.S. Here is a press release about this project! :

First of A Kind New Type of Harp Has Both Laser Beams, And Harp Strings.

New Project! : Laser Harp styled like an Ancient Egytian Harp carved to look like a part of an Olive Tree! ;-)

2009-01-02T11:42:00.001-08:00

I have a new commission, for a Egyptian Style Laser Beam harp. This harp will be installed at a location to be-revealed, when it is open to the public, latter in 2009. The harp will have seven low powered green lasers. It will be installed with low level water based fog in action, giving the occasional pulse of vapor, to make the low powered lasers to be more highly visible in normal lighting conditions.

I will be posting pictures of it`s construction, when that gets under way latter in January.

Here is one of the concept drawings for this laser harp. I will be carved from multible layers of figured Oregon Myrtle wood. this is the same tree as the Bay Laurel Tree.

It will be carved to resemble an section of an olive tree w/ branch. There will be some carved leaves and olives on smaller branches, on the upper part, with some gilding. Myrtle wood has a very nice golden brown/silver/and even purple color, with lots of fiddle back figure.

This will be a fun project, with completion coming in April 2009 ! :-)

Glenn J. Hill

Children`s Hospital Laser beam harp

2009-01-02T10:38:00.000-08:00

I just installed in Sept 2008, a custom designed and crafted a laser beam harp with 8 red lasers, for the "Children`s Hospital of the King`s Daughter`s", in Virginia Beach Virginia.

The harp which is the size of a lap harp, is attached to a self-contained electronics cabinet. The cabinet which is secured to the floor of the hospital lobby, contains the lap top computer, midi controller, power supplies and the stereo sound system .

The harp is made of highly figured Maple, dyed purple, and the cabinet is natural Maple. The lasers are low powered red 5mw, totally safe ones.

This laser harp is set to be at a comfortable child height, for the children to play when they come for exams. It can play any kind of sampled wave file or synth sound, as single notes, play-to-end sequences or as loops that keep playing till the beam is broken again. There are all kinds of combination ways to trigger the sounds as well. the software and midi controller are made for me by OptiMusic, and are fully programable, state-of-the-art in capacity.

Here are a couple of shots showing the cabinet open to show the computer/with the software showing and the other electronics.

Here is some video , showing the harp and the sounds it can make, in action!

The Custom Harp Builder

2008-05-31T09:24:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new blog, the Custom Harp Builder Blog! Where I will be posting pictures of my custom carved one-of-a-kind harp creations, as they are being created.

Your comments or creative ideas are always welcome !

These harps are unlike any others being created on Earth. Since 1978 I have custom designed and built over 275 harps like these shown here. From single string-band lever harps with from as little as 10 strings, up to 42 strings, as well as cross strung and double strung harps, electric harps and laser beams ones as well!

I always first start with the strings, spacing, tension and materials, and then go to the size weight and style of harp that is desired. I then design the 'look' and feel of the harps image and energy, with any three-dimensional or relief carving desired, as well as painting and inlay work.

Glenn J. Hill 5/31/08