Do you remember this?

In this post, I said, “I’m waiting for someone to start building an actual double strung lyre, so I only need to carry, or hold, or find a case for one instrument! Because the holding is another animal entirely! And yes, I know there are some made with nylon strings. But you can’t have these with wire strings, because that’s not where these companies specialize. However, the shorter height of the bean-style lyre makes it a wonderful double strung instrument, as do the wire strings! and for me, it’s much easier to play. So… Until I can get the real deal, I will continue to play 2 lyres at the same time. I didn’t intend to go on this tangent here, but now that I have, it’s officially out in the Universe.”

Well, I am extremely pleased and excited to announce that from now on, we can all enjoy a real double strung lyre with wire strings! But before we get to the instrument, let’s all have a moment of thanks and a round of applause for Stephen Dindinger, who designed and built this wonderful lyre! This was a huge project for him, and he had never built an instrument with wire strings before. So he took a risk with this one, and I am truly delighted with how it turned out! It’s just the instrument I’ve been looking for! I can’t thank you enough, Stephen!

This is a review of my personal instrument. It was neither requested nor sponsored in any way.

Please join me in welcoming Alchemy! Over time, this will become my only instrument. That was my plan, and that’s how great this lyre is!

Audio samples

Enjoy the ringing wire strings in these audio samples of what a double strung can do. These are original pieces, as well as the scale, glissandi, and double strung effects.

Scale

Glissandi

Double Strung Effects

Allow

Grant us Love

Release

Love the Broken Ones

Whole

Gratitude

Accessories

The lyre came with a matching T style tuning wrench and stand, a stretchy belt, and a backpack case. More on these later.

Instrument Shape

To picture this lyre, think of a rectangle standing upright on one short side. That side is the rounded bottom. The bass side, farthest away from you, is flatter. Moving toward you, it becomes rounder and slopes inward toward the treble side.

The pillar is the front most part of the lyre. It is upright and rounds outward toward the middle of the soundbox. This is one long side of the rectangle and is the longest/tallest side of the instrument.

The top of the frame is sloped. It rounds upward toward the middle of the string range, then back downward toward the treble side. This part of the lyre contains the handle. More on this later.

The final side is the treble side. It’s shorter than the bass/pillar side. But it still rounds outward toward the top of the soundbox.

Weight and Dimensions

The main problem I had with double strung harps, 2 of them in fact, was the weight. One weighed 9.5 lb, and the other weighed 10. Also, their taller size made them awkward to lift or transport. Even though they were both lap harps, this became very difficult for me.

I asked Stephen to make this lyre as light as possible, and he did a fabulous job! The lyre and stand only way 4.2 lb together. I am extremely happy with this!

I didn’t get the exact dimensions from Stephen, so my measurements may be off. However, the lyre is about 18” tall, just under 12” from front to back at the top, and the frame is only 2” wide. I couldn’t ask for better dimensions and weight! They make the lyre so much easier to transport… Friendlier and more accessible, if you will.

Engraving

Stephen did some absolutely beautiful engraving on this lyre! First of all, I asked for the design of a dove carrying an olive branch. This engraving is on both sides, just above the tuning pins.

Secondly, a treble clef is engraved on each side of the pillar. I didn’t request this, but it is lovely!

Finally, the soundholes aren’t just plain holes in the instrument. They are rosettes, and you feel them instead of an open soundhole like a guitar has. There are 2 soundholes on each side, one for bass and one for treble. All 4 are carved in this way. From what was described to me, it’s similar to a Mandala design. I know it feels beautiful, and I’m sure it looks beautiful as well.

Materials

The lyre frame is made of one piece of solid streaked American Cherry wood. From what I understand, it is honey colored and will darken with age. The frame is partially hollowed out to reduce weight.

Since it’s double strung, the lyre has 2 soundboards. They are made of 1/8” thick aircraft birch plywood. There is an outer layer of cherry veneer so that it matches the frame more closely.

The bridges are Gabbon Ebony, a very hard wood, which Stephen told me provides a strong connection to the soundboard.

For tuning, 19 zither pins run along each side of the top of the lyre. These are nickel-plated steel and very reliable.

Each string hole has a brass eyelet that keeps the string from digging into the wood. These contribute to the stability, integrity, and longevity of the instrument.

I’m not sure what Stephen‘s finishing process is, but it resulted in a very smooth finish. I don’t think the finish is shiny, but again, I’m not sure. It is smooth, but not overly slippery like a gloss finish would be. In any case, it is very consistent, beautiful, and well done. It also has no bad smell. I mention this because I’ve had instruments in the past where the finish smelled terrible for weeks. This instrument just smells like natural wood.

Strings and Range

The range is 19 strings from F3-C6. In other words, the lowest note is F below middle C. The highest note is 2 octaves above middle C. You get 2 parallel rows of this range, one for each hand. I requested this range, because it matches my single strung (normal) acoustic lyre. The strings are ball end steel, which I also requested to match my single strung. These 2 things, and the fact that I wanted a lyre instead of a harp, are the main reasons this instrument had to be designed and built from the ground up.

I wanted steel strings for the ringing sound! Another advantage is that they are much less expensive than nylon harp strings. This will come in handy when I need to replace a string. I also find it much easier to replace a steel string than a nylon one. This lyre uses the same string chart as my single strung. It just requires two sets of strings for the whole instrument.

String Attachment

I wanted to mention the string attachment specifically, because I think it’s brilliant! There is a small rectangular space carved out of the frame to hold each ball end string. They are located on the bottom inside of the frame and are not visible from the outside.

So, a string enters the lyre from the bottom inside of the frame. You seat the ball end into its place, then run the string through the hole in the frame. This whole is where the brass eyelet is. You can see and feel the eyelet on the outside of the frame. The string then runs over the bridge and up to the zither pin for winding and tuning.

Holding the Instrument

There are 2 main ways to hold this instrument while playing. You can use one or the other or both.

1. Stand: The stand is a wonderful design and can act as a lap support while playing, as well as a display stand.

It has 2 flat, wide pieces that rest across your lap, perpendicular to the lyre. They have heavy rubber material on the bottom to keep the stand from sliding.

The lyre sits on a third piece that runs front to back. Toward the bass side of the stand, farthest away from you, is a pin. Toward the treble side, closest to you, is a knob with a threaded screw. The lyre has corresponding holes on the bottom. One is for the pin, and the other is for the screw. When the lyre is tightened onto the stand, it is extremely stable. The stand is a beautiful piece of artwork in itself, and it works perfectly. Having such a stable base lets me relax while playing and have my hands completely free. I don’t need to worry about stabilizing the instrument myself.

I described the stand in 3 pieces to hopefully make it easier to understand. However, it is made as one unit. The only removable part is the knob used to attach the lyre to the stand.

2. Belt: A thick, wide elastic belt is also included. It has a quick release buckle. The belt goes around your waist for extra support and attaches to the lyre with a locking strap button on the front of the pillar side. It’s not necessary to use the belt for support, since the stand is stable on its own. However, if you have a chair that is too high, for instance, you may find the belt helpful. I like having both options.

It’s also possible to play the lyre on its own, without the stand or belt. I tried it, but went right back to using the stand. It’s more relaxing to play this way.

3. Carrying handle: This has nothing to do with playing. But it’s another brilliant feature I wanted to mention. The handle is carved out of the top of the lyre, from around the middle toward the treble side. It makes picking up the instrument so much easier! You don’t need to worry about dropping it when putting it in the case or bumping it into things. It really is a helpful feature that was Stephen’s idea. Thank you, Stephen!

4. Case: The backpack case is very well made and very necessary. It is made of thick material with thick padding inside. It has one large pocket that is separated. The back compartment is for the lyre, and the front one is for the stand. This larger area closes with Velcro. There is a smaller, but still very large front pocket that also closes with Velcro. This is for accessories. In addition to the backpack straps, it has a small handle so you can pick it up from the top.

String Spacing and Tension

I don’t have measurements here, but the string spacing and tension are like my 19-string acoustic lyre. This was done intentionally, so I wouldn’t have to learn to play a completely different instrument. Mission accomplished! There is no difference to me, and it plays very well.

Playing Techniques

1. Fingertips: You can play this lyre with your fingertips, like you would a guitar. I won’t say a harp, because the hand position is different. If you play with fingertips, the sound is softer. I’m playing like this until my fingernails grow back.

2. Fingernails: i’ll be playing this way, especially with my right hand, when mine grow back. I didn’t realize how much I used my nails until I didn’t have them! They create a brighter, louder sound. It’s also less numbing to the fingertips.

Getting in Tune

Tuning a double strung instrument is always twice the trouble! It’s very important to get both sets of strings in unison, or as close as possible. Otherwise, the double strung effects sound strange.

It’s also important to remember the stringing direction. On the right side, in playing position, you turn the zither pins away from you to tighten the string and raise the pitch. It is reversed on the left side. I’m still getting used to this tuning process. But I think it’s strung this way to distribute the string tension more evenly on both sides of the instrument.

I’m trying to figure out a good way to hold the wrench and pluck the string I’m tuning. For some reason, I’m finding it difficult with this instrument, though I didn’t have a problem when I played 2 acoustic lyres at once. I’ll get there!

The zither pins turn easily, but are not loose. Once you get the lyre in tune, the tuning holds and is very stable.

Things I would Change

1. Buzzing: Some of the lower strings on the left side of the instrument buzz. I really need to fix this, as it is very annoying and can be heard in recordings.

2. Volume: I would like a little more volume, especially from the lower notes. I’m still working out my playing and recording technique for this.

3. Felt strips: Stephen installed a felt strip on each set of strings, below the bridge. I had to ask him if they could or should be removed, because I was surprised to feel them. He said they prevent unwanted overtones, but that I can remove them if I wish and see if I like the resulting sound. I haven’t removed them yet, but I may in the future. If I do, the strings will be left sticky from the strips. So, I am holding off on that for now.

4. Stringing direction: I don’t think this is something I can change, but it is something I need to remember while tuning. See the tuning section above.

5. More traditional strap: I might add strap buttons to the lyre to use a guitar style strap. I haven’t decided on this yet.

6. Case Velcro: Both case pockets close with heavy Velcro. I would much prefer zippers for ease of use, less noise when opening them, and because lint and particles can get stuck on the Velcro. However, this is something I will learn to live with, as otherwise, it is a wonderful case!

7. Case color: This is my fault and a very minor detail, but I forgot to ask for the purple backpack case I wanted. Since I didn’t specify a color, the case is gray.

The Wrap Up

I’ listed some things I would change about this instrument, but they’re more like things to get used to. This really is the instrument I wanted and will be perfect when I fix the buzzing strings! It is a beautiful instrument that was extremely well designed, well crafted, and has the sound I’ve been looking for. It’s also lightweight and easy to transport, which is just as important to me. This is an instrument I can just pick up and play. That makes me play it more, which helps me learn more about it and enjoy it more as well.

My sincere thanks again to Stephen Dindinger for taking on this huge project! I am delighted with this double wire strung lyre!

Welcome home, Alchemy!