Advice regarding how to choose a new Celtic harp

[felipe-molinero]

Hi all,
Our little kid is starting its studies of harp and he would need a 34 strings celtic harp.
The problem is that we do not know what criteria to follow to choose it, and we would apreciate your advice.
We know the following models: salvi, camac, and recently we found a really cheap harp, Roth and Junius.
We are considering to buy the Roth and Junius because of price but we do not know if it could affect to the quality of the manufacture or the sound. Anyone knows this model and know whether it is advisable?
We are really lost.
Thank you very much for your help.

[marcia-farkas]

Hi Felipe,
I would not purchase a cheap harp. It will sound cheap. I would say a Salvi or a Lyon and Healy would be your best bet.
Marcia

[felipe-molinero]

Marcia,
Thank you for your reply.
Alsoo we have the possibility to buy a Salva second hand harp in Barcelona belonging to an old student of the same harp teacher, then I think we will decide for it.
Felipe

[erin-wood]

There is an article about buying harps in the upcoming issue of the harp column. I think it would be very useful to you but it would probably just cover the makers that are available in America. I am not familiar with that maker but maybe your teacher could play it and see how it sounds. But you can be confident that Salvi or Camac is good. There are some less expensive student models like the Ogden from L&H or the Ravenna from Dusty Strings that sounds great but are a good price.

[lyn-boundy]

If your son hasn’t played before I would strongly recommend looking into the possibility of hiring an instrument first until you can be sure he wants to continue aftre the first few lessons. A lot of beginners – especially children – start with a smaller instrument (quite sensibly, if they are limited by physical size) and then later find they want to upgrade, both in size and quality. Once he decides playing the harp is something he will continue to do for many years then it would be well worth buying a really good instrument as a 34-string, is a nice size that could easily last him for the rest of his life.

[felipe-molinero]

Dear all.
Thank you very much for all your answer we really apreciatte.
Lyn, our kid is now after its first lessons and the teacher encouraged us to acquire a 34 strings celtic harp, the same he plays in the school, because she noticed potential, in order to practise at home.
Knowing that salvi and camac are good instruments we will decide between both.
Regards

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