electric harp repair

[angie-kelly–2]

I’ve got a bit of a feedback issue with my Camac 30 string electric lever harp. The short version of the story – if I hold the cable and really press it into the jack then the noise stops. But if I want to play with two hands, I am stuck with this buzzy/feedback type sound. I’ve tried different cables. I’m not sure how long it’s been an issue, I’ve had some issues with cables not quite connecting without wiggling them around for years, this noise though was something I discovered while recording a few weeks ago. Since I’ve not been recording with the harp in awhile, it might have been there and I just never noticed.
I emailed the head traveling technician for Camac in the USA, but the electric parts aren’t part of the standard technician training, so I can wait until she has completed the training in a few months, or try to find someone else to do the work. I would rather not wait as I want to get this album finished and I’d like to be able to play with both hands while I do it.
Does anyone know of someone who has done work on electric components of harps? I am 99% sure that this isn’t related to the pickups, it’s some sort of connection issue where the cable plugs in. I am most likely going to take it to a guitar technician to get an opinion/estimate, but thought I’d check here in case folks knew of someone I should contact first.

[catherine-rogers]

I’ve had this kind of problem. It can be that the inside of the jack socket has some debris in it and needs to be cleaned out. We ended up getting a new jack from Camac through Virginia Harp Center and replacing the old one. It’s not complicated but requires soldering. If you’re not comfortable doing it, get someone who is accustomed to that kind of work with electronics after you get the replacement part.

[Janis Cortese]

A guitar tech is your best bet — I suspect he’ll discover a grounding problem. They often cause buzzing.

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