| The Harpmaker
By George Gannon
Photographs by David Fattaleh
West Virginia harpmaker Stephen Green is as much an artist as he is an engineer. To create his in-demand harps, the McDowell County native doesn’t cobble together a collection of mail order pieces; he crafts each instrument from raw materials, guided by only a mental blueprint and his expertise. Shaping and sawing and molding and cutting, Green transforms wood and strings into his notable Steen Harps––a brand name he devised by combining his first and last names––in his tidy shop a few miles west of Welch.
 Working alone, Green turns out 17 harps per year. Considering the work and craftsmanship that goes into each instrument, the uninitiated might think he would need a year to finish a single harp, but Green has the process down to an exact science and requires only three weeks.
“It’s pretty time intensive. That’s one of the reasons they don’t mass produce harps. It’s a lot of hard work,” Green says. “A factory would have to have craftsmen to make them. You can’t do it with low-dollar men and turn a big profit on it. You need an artisan, frankly, to take the time to do all these steps The only way to get a good harp is have it custom made.”
When asked about how he does it, Green, who has made 250 harps since 1988, describes a process that makes quantum physics seem simple. Harp making involves minute cuts and carves, and Green has a jig and saw for every cut he makes. Although his explanation of the procedure is bogged down with technical jargon and fraction measurements, he doesn’t consult any spec sheets or diagrams. The only help he gets is from Hardhead and company.
 Hardhead is a name for one of his tools. There’s also Friendly, George, Trusty, and a host of other homemade wood blocks Green uses as jigs and guides. While making a harp is serious business, it’s also pretty lonely, and Green knows it wouldn’t be much fun if he didn’t allow himself a little whimsy.
Generally made of maple and cherry wood, Green’s harps consist of a pillar, a harmonic curve, and a sound chamber. After the three main components are assembled, he attaches the strings and tunes the harp with 24-carat gold levers. It’s during the tuning process that Green will learn if he’s made any mistakes. Taut, tuned strings put a tremendous amount of pressure on the harp, and if it’s not perfect, the instrument could collapse. Carefully he plucks out the instrument’s first haunting whisper. “When you make a harp, you’re creating something that comes to life,” says Green.
The harp is one of the world’s oldest instruments and is referenced several times in the Bible. In Genesis 4:21, it’s written that Jubal, who was six generations removed from Adam and Eve, is “the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.” King David is said to have played the harp to calm Saul when he was possessed by demons. Historians think harps originated in Sumer and Egypt between 2000 and 3000 B.C. They were used by several ancient cultures and found favor in Europe during the nineteenth century. Irish aristocrats were particularly fond of the harp. When Green has completed a harp to his satisfaction, he meets his client halfway between Welch and the client’s home base. Green tunes the instrument for the client, and if they are happy, they take the harp home. Customers have a 10-day trial period during which they can return the instrument to Green. The master harpmaker claims never to have had an unhappy client. While his harps easily satisfy the world’s blue bloods, Green doesn’t display his first attempt at harp making. “I would never show that one,” he says.
Green patched together his first harp simply because he wanted to try playing one before he plunked down the cash for a real harp. Although he was an experienced woodworker, having made a boat and two ultralight aircraft, Green’s prototype harp wasn’t pretty. But as Green began to experiment further with harp making, his instruments got better and better. He took out advertisements in the harp world’s trade publications, set up a booth at a few trade shows, and soon enough he was making harps to supplement his income. Today, Green’s harps can fetch more than $4,000 and some of the world’s most famous harpists play Steen Harps.
 Green’s clients include A’nie Minogue, Sue Richards, Frank Voltz, and a host of other internationally acclaimed recording artists. Green even made a traveling harp for a member of Frank Sinatra’s band.
As part of an ensemble, the harp is generally the lead instrument since it has the capability of playing many parts. As Green says, “The harp can play it all.” All instruments have a unique sound, but the tunes generated by a harp’s firm strings carry a serendipitous hum. Because of its mellifluous tone, the harp is thought to have a soothing effect on both the player and listener. The thunderous snap of a snare drum is exciting and the rollicking lick of an electric guitar always gets the party started, but serenity and peace are the domain of the harp. Some harpists have even developed a type of clinical therapy whereby the instrument’s calming sounds are used to relax patients.
 In addition to the amazing sound, Green loves the feeling of playing the harp. He claims the harp is one of the few instruments that gives as much to the musician as it does to the listener. With a harp poised on his shoulder, Green says he can feel the vibrations resonate through his body as he plays. “You can feel the vibrations in your hands. You’re so close to it. It’s just a wonderful instrument,” he says. Green agrees that harp music does offer psychological comfort, but he adds with a sly laugh, “Riding a motorcycle can also relieve stress.” The sound of a harp is as unmistakable as the roar of a Harley Davidson, and in the harp world, one of the best rides out there is a Steen Harp.
For more information on Steen Harps, visit the Web site: www.steenharps.com.
George Gannon is a staff writer for the Charleston Daily Mail. He lives in South Charleston.
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