In the late 70's Rick Rubarth was a young singer/songwriter/guitarist working folk clubs in the Detroit area, when he heard his first harp on a recording by Robin Williamson. Captivated by the beautiful sound of the Caswell harp on the album, Rick vowed then and there to become harpist. But how do you obtain a harp if you're a starving artist without any extra cash for new instruments? Solution: build your own. It took Rick about six months working evenings in a small workspace in his apartment to make a very credible first instrument where to discover ways to play. Thirty years and 1100 harps later, at age 52, Rick Rubarth has sadly become only a modest harpist, but fortunately for the harp world, he is one of the best builders on the scene today. 豎琴價錢
Being a guitar maker of any kind requires great sensitivity to sound and a compelling desire to produce objects with one's own hands. Rick possessed both qualities early on. He grew up in Dearborn, Michigan, a member of musical family which would gather every Sunday after church at Grandma's house play and sing old-time classics from Vaudeville era, like Sidewalks of New York and Bicycle Built for Two. Strumming guitars were Rick's father and older brother, while his mother played the piano. "She was the actual talent in the family," recalls Rick. "She could sight read sheet music and play by ear as well. She played sets from Chopin and Copeland to Rhapsody in Blue and boogie-woogie. Unlike lots of classically trained players, she could improvise and pick things up by ear. I didn't get any formal instruction from her, but I got a number of the musical genes. My father did show me how exactly to play guitar. By 14, I was writing my first songs."
Are you aware that handicraft side of the equation, Rick remembers always building something or other throughout his childhood. Model planes and boats were a favorite pastime, as were elaborate Rube-Goldberg style constructions of cardboard, which would deposit a coin in a bank in the absolute most complicated way possible. Later, senior school wood shop proved particularly rewarding and kindled a life-long fascination with wood and its properties.
Rick had to eventually sell that first harp during one of those inevitable lean times any working musician is susceptible to, but thus was created a way to build a new harp, which hopefully would sound better still compared to the first. Throughout the early period of his career he would build a couple of harps at the same time and then think on what he could change to enhance the sound. In early years the target wasn't to make a living, but rather to master a craft and uncover the mysteries of an instrument.
In 1977 Rick moved to Ann Harbor Michigan where he worked as a professional electrician in the auto industry. Nearly all of his spare time was devoted to making harps. "I lived nearby the Stearns instrument Museum and the curator would let me into the rear rooms to go through the old harps within their collections. These were important historical instruments -- there clearly was an early Morley harp and a very old copy of the Queen Mary harp -- but they'd fallen apart and were lying in pieces on shelves, awaiting some time later on when they could be restored. This was a great chance for me because I was able see the interior! I took plenty of measurements and observed what sort of tops were carved and braced. It absolutely was a great foundation for my future education."
Four years later Rick, now married, relocated to Denver, Colorado where he has lived ever since. He established a routine of working part-time, gigging around town, and building harps. In the late 80's, a music retailer suggested there clearly was a distinct segment available on the market for small harps, so Rick designed a 22-string instrument, which proved very successful. Throughout the years he has built and sold over 700 of those affordable harps, however larger harps have remained his true passion.