Harps by Witcher

Fine nylon-strung and wire-strung harps , including historical copies.

Note: for some reason some of the search engines are bringing this harps page from our web site up first. This is only one of a whole group of pages on harps and makers. To see the whole harps area of this web site, go to the main Harps page.

Also: To see what harps we have currently sitting here, go to the page of Harps For Sale on our showroom floor

Witcher nylon-strung harps are listed below on this page; we havwe a separate page of his wire-strung models.

Jay Witcher lives in Houlton, Maine, where the maple trees grow that he loves to make his harps from. According to Jay, maple has excellent acoustical properties and strength.

Jay makes a wide variety of harps; his self-designed lines of neo-Irish nylon- and wire-strung harps are well known.

In addition, he has spent much time studying the ancient harps that have survived the years, and makes historical copies of them. This includes the old Irish and Scottish harps that have survived (Trinity, Sirr, O'Ffogerty, Lamont, Queen Mary, others). He makes triple- and double-strung harps. This does not cover all the models he produces (Gothic, Trondheim, etc).

His harps are beautiful to look at and listen to, and he is a master at his craft.

Please  note that there is a waiting time for a Witcher harp and one piece of information we can't get you is the date when your harp will be finished. Witcher harps are crafted one at a time and cannot be rushed.

All of the harps listed below are made of hard maple or birch in the smaller sizes; the larger sizes,  and all of the brass-wire-strung harps on the next page, are made from hard maple. Witcher will stain the harps in various shades of red and brown to your choice.

The Cythara Anglica, Gothic, Renaissance Double, Mersenne and Welsh triple harps have bone substitute insets for string shoes. The Beginner harps, Celtics and Trondheims have brass grommets for string shoes, and the modern nylon-strung harps have ornate cast silicon bronze string shoes.

Witcher Nylon-Strung Harps

N1. Modern nylon-strung harp, Witcher Design. Four-octave model: 48", 29 strings, range C (one octave below middle C) up to C. Ornate cast silicon bronze hardware and adjustable semitone levers.  A compact harp with a really good sound. $4000

N2. Modern nylon-strung harp, Witcher Design. Four-and-a-half-octave model: 58", 33 strings, range F (1 1/2 octaves below middle C) up to C. Weighs about 30 lb. Ornate cast silicon bronze hardware and adjustable semitone levers.This harp has a great sound for the professional player. $4500

N4. Welsh-style five-octave: 66", 36 strings, range C (two octaves below middle C) up to C. Ornate cast silicon bronze hardware and adjustable semitone levers. $5000 A great, wonderful sound, second to no harp anywhere.

N5. (Not shown: same shape as the Welsh-style no. 4 above.) Welsh-style 5 1/2-octave: 72", 40 strings, range F (2 1/2 octaves below middle C) up to C. Ornate cast silicon bronze hardware and adjustable semitone levers. $5500 A great, wonderful sound, second to no harp anywhere.

N7. The Witcher Original Celtic Model of 1970

This harp, like its original, has sharpening blades only. Available in four sizes.

N7A. 27", 22 strings, from middle C up to C. $2500
N7B. 31", 25 strings, from G (below middle C) up to C. $3000
N7C. 39", 29 strings, from C (one octave below middle C) up to C. $3500
N7D. 45", 32 strings, from G ( 1 1/2 octaves below middle C) up to C. $4000

N8. (Not shown) Beginner's Harps (Witcher Designs)

N8A. 48", 26 strings, from C (one octave below middle C) up to G. Maple, with birch plywood soundboard and back, sharping blades. $1200

N8B. 59", 31 strings, from F (1 1/2 octaves below middle C) up to A. Maple, birch plywood soundboard and back, plain bridge pins and adjustable flip-up sharping levers. $2000

N8C. 66", 34 strings, from C (two octaves below middle C) up to A. Maple, birch plywood soundboard and back, plain bridge pins and adjustable flip-up sharping levers. $2500

N9. Cythara Anglica (Witcher Reconstruction)

The soundbox on these harps is made from a solid block of wood.

Three sizes:
N9A. 26", 19 strings, middle C up to G. $1500
N9B. 33", 22 strings, G (below middle C) up to G. $2000
N9C. 37", 26 strings, C (one octave below middle C) up to G. $2500

N11. Late Medieval French (Witcher Reconstruction) Single and Double Harps

These harps can be supplied with sharpening blades.

Five sizes:
N11A. 42", 20 strings, F (below middle C) up to D. $1500
N11B. 48", 23 strings, C (below middle C) up to D. $2000
N11C. 57", 27 strings, F (1 1/2 octaves below middle C) up to D. $2500
N11D. 63", 30 strings, C (two octaves below middle C) up to D. $3000
N11E. Double, 64", 60 strings, C (two octaves below middle C) up to D. $3500

N12. Renaissance Double and Single

N12A. Double, 63", 60 strings, C (two octaves below middle C) up to D. $5500

N12B. Single, 63", 30 strings, C (two octaves below middle C) up to D. $4500

N13. Trondheim Single and Double Harps

The prices quoted below for the single-strung Trondheim harps are for birch plywood soundboards and backs, and sharpening blades. There will be an additional charge for all-hardwood construction, ornate hardware and adjustable sharpening levers. The larger sizes are a Witcher Design.

N13A. 40", 20 strings, F (below middle C) up to D. $1000
N13B. 45", 24 strings, C (one octave below middle C) up to E. $1500
N13C. 54", 27 strings, F (1 1/2 octaves below middle C) up to D. $2000
N13D. 60", 31 strings, C (two octaves below middle C) up to E. $2500
N13E. Double (all hardwood), 61", 62 strings, C (two octaves below middle C) up to E. $3500.

N14. (Not shown)Staved-Back Welsh Triple (After Bassett Jones)

78", range of 4+ octaves, F (2 1/2 octaves below middle C) up to A. $6500

N15. Mersenne Triple (Witcher Reconstruction)

64", 31 strings, C (two octaves below middle C) up to E. $6500

N16. The original Witcher Welsh-style, triple-strung harp. The one shown at left is the small size, four octaves. Witcher also makes larger versions. Please inquire about these.

To Witcher Wire-strung Harps

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The Harp and Dragon
25 Madison St, Cortland, NY 13045 USA
Tel 607-756-7372   Fax/Ans mach 607-756-0366