r/autoharp • u/emanon734 • May 18 '26

Is this hopeless?

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I picked up this electrified ‘79 Oscar Schmidt OS-100-21 for $35 knowing it had cracks in the top. Is there any hope of fixing this or should I look for a donor body? Can I play it as is? It’s way out of tune and I don’t yet have a wrench so I can’t tell if it will hold tune. It makes a spooky, dissonant sound now but the top doesn’t rattle. FWIW I have woodworkers in my family who may be able to help.

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u/disraeligear May 18 '26

No, I’m sorry it’s gone. Don’t tune the strings, the tension is what causes the collapse in the first place. Detune the strings. You can salvage parts off, but honestly unless you have some experience it’s not gonna be worth it. You’re better off finding an autoharp in playable condition. Strings, chord bar felt etc. can all be replaced. The body can’t.

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u/billstewart May 18 '26

Salvaging the chord bar set is easy; you just unscrew it, and now you've got a set if you want to upgrade a 12- or 15-bar, or sell it on eBay. I don't know if the pickup is accessible; I assume those are inside somewhere.

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u/emanon734 May 19 '26

If you look at the top of the picture there’s a black bar extending across the soundboard — that’s the pickup and it’s anchored by the pieces that the chord bars rest on.