I am building my first Aeolean Harp as a gift. I know for best results, the strings should be tuned based on the natural frequency of the soundbox so I am planning on tuning 4 violin catgut strings to the natural frequency and a second set of 4 tuned to the perfect fifth to pick up the harmonics (IIRC the fifth the next harmonic after the octave)
But how do I find the natural note of the soundbox and since it may be something like C#, how do I tune the strings. I’m not above spending a few bucks on equipment since (if succesful) I’m may make a few more as gifts this year, but if you start of, “In our quarter-million acoustical research lab . . .” I probably can’t afford that.
Another question for you acoustical engineers: will the natural frequency of the soundbox change depending on the dampening? For example, will the C# box hanging free change if it is sitting on a table? What if it is firmly attached to a window frame?