Instructions for using a crystal quartz harp or crystalophone.
To play the crystal harp, you can use the soft ends of the mallets, your fingers or the palms of your hands. The tubes are strong enough to withstand mallet strikes with reasonable force. With particular care, you can use the hard end of the mallet to create a different timbre.
The instrument is made of glass and must be handled with care. Avoid dropping the instrument. Do not allow the tubes to come into contact with metal or glass objects.
When replacing the tubes or removing them before transportation, avoid contact of the tubes with each other.
Do not drop hard objects on the instrument.
Allow small children to use the instrument only in the presence of adults. Make sure that children follow the rules and are careful when playing the instrument.
To play, hold the instrument firmly in your hand, or use stable surfaces.
Do not leave the instrument unattended in a large crowd of people, where it may be accidentally touched or dropped.
If the instrument or any of its parts break, be careful when collecting and disposing of the fragments. Broken glass can be sharp.
If the instrument or its parts are damaged, contact us and we will help with the repair and replacement of damaged parts.
Instrument care
To clean the instrument, use cold or slightly warm tap water, a soft cloth and paper napkins.
Attention! It is forbidden to use aggressive liquids such as alcohol, gasoline, acetone, solvents for cleaning the instrument, as they can destroy the acrylic parts of the structure.
Be careful with glass parts of the instrument if it is damaged. The edges may be sharp. Carefully remove the damaged parts of the instrument and contact us for replacement.
Replacement of suspension strings
Check the condition of the strings and tubes once a month. If you see a damaged or broken string, you need to replace the strings with new ones.
To replace the strings, place the instrument on a stable surface of sufficient size. A large table covered with a soft cloth is ideal. Choose an empty room so that outsiders do not accidentally touch the removed tubes.
Slowly and carefully remove the tubes, rotating them slightly along the axis. To facilitate the removal of the tubes, you can slightly moisten the places of their contact with the string with water. Do not allow the tubes to come into contact with each other or with other objects. Place the removed tubes on a flat, soft, horizontal surface so that they cannot roll or fall.
Remove the old suspension strings. In our instruments we use a double suspension string. Each end of the tube is supported by two strings at the bottom and two at the top. Thus, you need to insert a suspension string folded 4 times into the apertures on the frame. The string is folded 4 times and then, using a piece of plastic fishing line, it is slowly threaded sequentially into all the apertures of the frame. The ends of the string are fixed with knots, or fixed in holders (depending on the model). The tension of the string without tubes should be light, slightly greater than that of a freely hanging string.
After installing a new string, install the tubes one by one in their places. To do this, carefully thread the first end of the tube between the strings, then the other. To facilitate the process, you can also use water.
The tubes can also be removed for transportation in the cabin of the aircraft. To do this, you can order a special case from us.
Please contact us if you have any questions.
