These handmade pentatonic lyres are made from one solid piece of locally milled American Cherry. The Prism coloring process is done over a few days, with many light color applications, building the color presence without overpowering the natural grain. Each of these lyres will loosely follow the color scheme shown here, but each with its own unique character, thoughtfully applied in a way that accentuates the natural beauty of the wood.
These Prism Series 10 & 11 string Lyre models features a wide range of notes to help players expand creatively in their playing. They are great for playing chord shapes, melody lines, and simple strumming with a warm and rich tone. They have an updated full-width sound hole, with better two-handed playing ergonomics, which retains the standard Brandon John Luthiery volume and projection, but allows for easier access for two handed playing.
The additional low A# note on the 11 string models allow access to notes across 3 octave ranges within it's strings.
String Orientation variations offer options for which way your lyre is strung from the workshop. High Left/Low Right is closer to a traditional harp layout and Low Left/High Right would mirror a guitar or piano layout for a right-handed player. Please feel free to message me with any questions.
Finally, these lyres are sealed using a Shellac-based French Polish method with a sprayed top coat. This labor-intensive process applies many thin coats of shellac finish- which are allowed to dry, buffed down, and reapplied to build a thick protective layer. Shellac has a history over 3,000 years old, and this amazing finish is completely natural, non-toxic, durable, and beautiful. It's also easy to touch up in the event of a scratch.
REPLACEMENT STRING SETS: String set lists are available to confirmed customers through a simple Etsy message request to the shop. Strings are direct replacements, available from the same manufacturer I use, sold much less expensively than I can sell them.
Sound Clip (cut and paste into a new browser): https://soundcloud.com/brandon-jl/10-string-lyre-92120 https://soundcloud.com/brandon-jl/sets/11-string-lyre-brandon-john-luthiery
**Operating a Made-To-Order shop was a decision I made early on which allows me as a sole operator to balance my process, my commitment to being a present family member, and my full-time plus day job. I appreciate the patience granted to me by my customers when placing an order for a build, and strive to always ship your build by the date listed, or sooner, with consistent high quality standards. It's rare these days, but I believe this is one time when something is worth the wait!**
***LYRE TUNING: Your build was set up and fully tuned, allowed to settle in, and retuned before shipping. You will need to retune it upon delivery as it was packaged firmly to prevent damage, traveled by land and air, and handled by countless people before arriving at your door. I personally use and recommend both the gStrings tuning app for smartphones, or a Snark Multi-Instrument clip on tuner.***
***PROCESSING TIMES: The processing times quoted are approximate and at times may be adjusted (shortened or extended) to streamline workshop flow and efficiency.
***LYRE STRING NOTES: Unlike imported lyres, all BJL lyres come with high-quality American made strings installed. These do not need to be replaced upon arrival for any reason, and should give you many, many hours of playing time without a change in tone. My personal lyres are all over five years old with original strings, and have never sounded better! In the event of a string break (usually due to over tightening), please reach out to me for replacement information.
**SHIPPING ADDRESS CANNOT BE CHANGED AFTER ORDERS ARE FINALIZED. PLEASE VERIFY YOUR ADDRESS AT CHECKOUT BEFORE PLACING AN ORDER**
String Number:
These handmade pentatonic lyres are made from one solid piece of locally milled American Cherry. The Prism coloring process is done over a few days, with many light color applications, building the color presence without overpowering the natural grain. Each of these lyres will loosely follow the color scheme shown here, but each with its own unique character, thoughtfully applied in a way that accentuates the natural beauty of the wood.
These Prism Series 10 & 11 string Lyre models features a wide range of notes to help players expand creatively in their playing. They are great for playing chord shapes, melody lines, and simple strumming with a warm and rich tone. They have an updated full-width sound hole, with better two-handed playing ergonomics, which retains the standard Brandon John Luthiery volume and projection, but allows for easier access for two handed playing.
The additional low A# note on the 11 string models allow access to notes across 3 octave ranges within it's strings.
String Orientation variations offer options for which way your lyre is strung from the workshop. High Left/Low Right is closer to a traditional harp layout and Low Left/High Right would mirror a guitar or piano layout for a right-handed player. Please feel free to message me with any questions.
Finally, these lyres are sealed using a Shellac-based French Polish method with a sprayed top coat. This labor-intensive process applies many thin coats of shellac finish- which are allowed to dry, buffed down, and reapplied to build a thick protective layer. Shellac has a history over 3,000 years old, and this amazing finish is completely natural, non-toxic, durable, and beautiful. It's also easy to touch up in the event of a scratch.
REPLACEMENT STRING SETS: String set lists are available to confirmed customers through a simple Etsy message request to the shop. Strings are direct replacements, available from the same manufacturer I use, sold much less expensively than I can sell them.
Sound Clip (cut and paste into a new browser): https://soundcloud.com/brandon-jl/10-string-lyre-92120 https://soundcloud.com/brandon-jl/sets/11-string-lyre-brandon-john-luthiery
**Operating a Made-To-Order shop was a decision I made early on which allows me as a sole operator to balance my process, my commitment to being a present family member, and my full-time plus day job. I appreciate the patience granted to me by my customers when placing an order for a build, and strive to always ship your build by the date listed, or sooner, with consistent high quality standards. It's rare these days, but I believe this is one time when something is worth the wait!**
***LYRE TUNING: Your build was set up and fully tuned, allowed to settle in, and retuned before shipping. You will need to retune it upon delivery as it was packaged firmly to prevent damage, traveled by land and air, and handled by countless people before arriving at your door. I personally use and recommend both the gStrings tuning app for smartphones, or a Snark Multi-Instrument clip on tuner.***
***PROCESSING TIMES: The processing times quoted are approximate and at times may be adjusted (shortened or extended) to streamline workshop flow and efficiency.
***LYRE STRING NOTES: Unlike imported lyres, all BJL lyres come with high-quality American made strings installed. These do not need to be replaced upon arrival for any reason, and should give you many, many hours of playing time without a change in tone. My personal lyres are all over five years old with original strings, and have never sounded better! In the event of a string break (usually due to over tightening), please reach out to me for replacement information.
**SHIPPING ADDRESS CANNOT BE CHANGED AFTER ORDERS ARE FINALIZED. PLEASE VERIFY YOUR ADDRESS AT CHECKOUT BEFORE PLACING AN ORDER**
