I build instruments from scratch. However, twice I've built from kits--once a Viola da Gamba, on commission, and the Celtic Harp in the picture. This harp is a kit I ordered from Lark in the Morning. Not knowing much about harp construction, and wanting to build one, I decided to order an inexpesive kit so I could see how they are built. This one has thin-ply cherry veneer sides and back and a spruce veneer soundboard. The solid wood upright and tuning bar are laminated/spliced cherry (several 3/4" to 1" pieces glued side-to-side and end-to-end). The tone is nice, especially for an inexpensive instrument, but it's not exceptional. (The lowest 3 or 4 bass strings tend to buzz instead of play.) Lark in the Morning has all types of instrument kits: stringed, woodwind, percussion--and a huge variety of folk and world music instruments. Check out their web site.