From the choice of wood, and components made to our exacting specifications, to the pride we take in care and craftsmanship, d'Aigle Autoharps are second to none. We continuously scrutinize every detail of our instruments, and innovate over time to provide the very best to our customers.
About Our Autoharps
Ten Advantages of a D'Aigle Autoharp:
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1. Wood
We start by hand-selecting every piece of wood for beauty as well as acoustic characteristics. (Say more about wood here?)
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Standard woods for our solid wood models include backs made of figured maple, walnut, and cherry, and tops made of spruce and cedar.
However we firmly believe the choice of wood is more than just about appearance. Hard woods vibrate at a higher frequency than soft woods (say more?)
2. Pin Block Frame
An autoharp is subject to over 1,500 pounds of string tension. Our frames are made of just two pieces: the anchor at the fine tuner end, and the entire remainder of the 'harp that is crafted from continuous, uninterrupted pin block.
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As mentioned above, hard woods vibrate at a higher frequency than soft woods, and dense layers of pin block vibrate at higher frequencies than thin membranes like the back and top of the autoharp.
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Our pin block is made by combining separate, thin layers of eastern rock maple (one of the hardest woods) under extreme pressure, so there is nearly no glue left between layers. Crossing wood grain provides unparalleled strength advantages, while its hard, dense nature transfers vibration freely—it's the super conductor of the wood world. Only the tail of our autoharps is glued and clamped.
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Using the pin block method gives D'Aigle Autoharps three distinct advantages: a clear path for the vibrating energy, enhanced tuning pin integrity so they don't become loose over time, and a far greater strength to mass ratio than other 'harps.
3. Thoughtful Woodworking
Most autoharp tops and backs are rather thick to help hold against the tension of the strings. Our tops and backs are thinner, which allow them to vibrate more freely, and supported by a carefully engineered bracing system that allows them to maintain the proper shape. Our tops have a very slight arch to improve integrity, and all edges are heavily eased for comfort.
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Woodworking features can be mixed and matched to your preferences, and custom items can be included, such as artwork, shell inlay, and more. Please reach out to us with any questions you may have for your dream autoharp.
4. Finish
We use instrument grade finishes which have stood the test of time on many of the world's finest instruments.
Satin finishes produce a bit of a richer sound because they have a thinner coating of protection. Gloss finishes have thicker coatings and offer a higher level of protection.
5. Fine Tuners
We hold a patent on our very own fine tuners, made of black anodized aluminum for minimal weight, and machined exclusively in our shop. D'Aigle Autoharp Fine Tuners not only offer the smoothest action, they make tuning your instrument effortless, and changing strings faster and easier.
6. Chord Bars
D'Aigle chord bars offer several distinct advantages: Extruded from black anodized aluminum, and capped with grain-matched wood veneers (except for the Sparrow and the Rose series), our chord bars will never warp or distort due to case hardening of the wood grain, and changing felt is much easier with an aluminum surface.
We also give each bar a very slight arch, which causes the felt at each end of the bar to make contact with the strings just slightly before contact in the center, giving a far more positive damping of the highest and lowest strings.
7. Leaf Springs
Our Mylar leaf spring system is the lightest and quickest touch available. When maintaining your instrument, there are no springs to fly away.
8. Fine Details
Every detail—from the tuning pins and brass bridges, to the purfling and the buttons—are the finest available, and every part is Made In America.
Many parts such as the buttons, the fine tuner extrusion and the chord bar extrusion are made exclusively for us.
9. "A" Model Autoharps
Except for special orders, all D'Aigle Autoharps are "A" models.
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A Model autoharps release string energy first to the top through a bridge, with the capability of exchanging lower frequencies that sets off a more audible chain of vibration through the harmonic series. This gives a rich, deep tonal color to the overall string energy.
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If the energy is received first through a bridge pin anchored in the pin block (as in B model autoharps), the harmonic series is more restricted, and the primary tone is more dominant.
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Either way, when the vibrations are more free, less damped by the mass of the instrument, the harmonic series is increased and the sustain is increased even though much of the energy is released to the air, giving us amplitude.
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A D'Aigle Autoharp does not allow vibration to be sucked up in ways we can't hear in the end, as through glue joints or any mass that does not vibrate freely.
10. Warranty
​Every D'Aigle Autoharp comes with a limited Lifetime Warranty for defects in materials or manufacturing. This warranty does not cover strings or felts, normal wear, or damage caused at the consumer end, including environmental damage.
