I have… actually, I don’t know off the top of my head how many Harpsicles I own! Eight? Two or three are usually out for rent and I have to keep five on hand for workshops. I use them for teaching, rentals, and Christmas caroling in my neighborhood. Recently I played an outdoor funeral in the POURING rain and used my Fullsicle (there was no way my performance harp was leaving my car). I told the family about the rain caveat ahead of time; nobody else there knew the difference and everyone loved it.

I keep one Harpsicle set up on its stand because I use it to give lessons. It holds its tune very well, though I only use it one day a week. After their strings were stretched and soundboards bellied, I’ve found that the several harps I use once every couple of months for workshops hold their tune well during that workshop hour. I go through and rough-tune once, then start over again and fine-tune and they’re good to go — after two months without being touched! If the one you tried was going out of tune, it is a fluke flaw, the harp was never given that initial tune-every-day period, or it went a very, very long time without a tuning.

The Tasty Harps Company is very helpful. My first Harpsicle was one I bought for super-cheap because it had a blown soundboard. Even though I didn’t buy it from the maker, they told me how to fix it, and that was the start of my fleet. Most recently, I bought back a previously sold Harpsicle from a student who was having financial trouble. I didn’t think to look for bent tuning pins initially…. but when I discovered one, THC sent me a couple of replacements no charge. They’re really nice, helpful people.

If you want to busk and your budget is about the size of a Fullsicle, I think it’s a good choice — and get a guitar strap. I always feel really cool playing a harp while walking around. I mean seriously, how many people on this planet are lucky enough to do that? 🙂

We have found that if we play closer to the soundboard the tension doesn’t feel as light. It does change the tone though.

I bought a Flatsicle as my first harp. I know I’m new so I haven’t got as much basis of comparison to other harps on other points. But, since it is a concern of yours, I can say that mine keeps tuning incredibly well.