What is the Electrolyre?

The Electrolyre is a solid body electric harp with frets.

The development prototype was constructed in July 2003. It has 17 strings, a little over two octaves range from middle C to G, and three chromatic frets per string.

It is made of quilted maple and hard maple with an ebony fingerboard and an electric guitar-like finish.

 The purpose of this prototype is to learn more about the playability and features of the Electrolyre.

 The Electrolyre made its public debut at HarpCon 2003 in Bloomington, Indiana

 We're currently learning how to play it using the frets and pitch control to blend harp technique with electric guitar styling.

Each string has a Graph-Tech piezoelectric bridge transducer.

Differential Active Matrix electronics cancels external hum reception by the pickups. The electrical output is quiet and hum-free. The on-board preamplifier boosts the signal to electric guitar-like levels for proper operation of effects units and guitar amplifiers. Low impedance, high level  output circuits minimize hum and noise.

Built-in pitch shift electronics for doubling/chorus, harmonizer, transpose, and note bending/vibrato can be controlled by the expression bar.

The Electrolyre is played holding it outward from the chest, like a classical lyre. One hand plucks the strings while the other hand presses the strings against the frets for sharps and flats.

It can be rested in the lap or played while standing using a strap.