Any experience with Electric Harp?

[unknown-user]

I’ve been thinking of picking up a new instrument, and the harp has always been one of those that’s interested me. I’m an unconventional person, and the electric harp has really caught my eye. However, I like my instruments to be portable, and the most portable version that I’ve found is Electric Harp’s 26 string version. Has anyone had any experience with that, or electric harps in general that they’d like to comment on?

I’ll probably need a teacher (that’s what I’ve gleaned from the forums) as I have no stringed instrument experience. I sing and play the flute for a number of years now, but nothing related to strings. I would dearly love all replies, thank you!

[michael-rockowitz]

Mel,

Here’s what I turned up with an advanced google search of harpcolumn.com for electric harp:

electric harp search via google of harpcolumn.com

I’ve been idly thinking about buying one as well – mine would be a cross strung, however, and as far as I can tell, no one sells an electric cross-strung “ready made” – it would have to be a special order.

The other way to go would be to amplify a regular acoustic harp, using a small mike, or a contact pickup.

[jennifer-buehler]

I assume you’re talking about the ones at this website?

[Misty Harrison]

My only experience was with one of the first pedal harp ones and the thing was great when plugged in and horrible when not. I’d get the newest of whichever electric harp you wanted to get and try to get one that works acoustic or electric rather than simply electric. The older ones were not meant to be performed on without being plugged in so they are really soft and don’t have a good tone when unplugged because the board was so much thicker than a regular harp.

[Sid Humphreys]

I play on Camac electric harps at the DFW showroom. Both the concert grand and the lever model sound great without being “plugged in.” In fact, I played my last recital on the Big Blue, unamplified. If I get a second harp, that will be it!

Sid

[Christian Frederick]

Misty, this could be an entire conversation. Like everything in life, there are negative side effects to an electric harp that is also acoustic. I love mine, and the great positive is I take my acoustic-electric harp to most of my gigs, which are acoustic. But, when I want to hear what is REALLY coming out of the speakers electrically, I have to either use headphones or place a speaker directly behind my head. An advantage to an electric harp without a soundboard is that is that you can really play electronically without being distracted from the acoustic qualities.

For a rock band,

[tony-morosco]

I agree. I have a Camac solid body electro harp and I actually like the fact that it is not acoustic at all. For one thing I have absolutely zero feed back issues. Second it sounds much better when using effects like delay or distortion.

I find it no more of a disadvantage than my Stratocasters. The right tool for the job I always say. Sometimes that took is acoustic but sometimes that took is full on, 100% electric.

[mark-andersen]

I have a L&H Silhouette solid body that I absolutely love. I’ve added my own MIDI interface to it manufactured by Artisan Instruments in Seattle, WA and the result is a harp that is ultimately portable, outputs MIDI information for use in Finale for publishing music, and easy to play with a tension very similar to my L&H 23. I couldn’t be happier with it. My good friend Deborah Henson Conant plays a Camac solid body and loves that as well.

If I’m going to play an acoustic harp then I actually prefer to play a completely acoustic non-amplified harp. Just my personal preference of course.

[unknown-user]

Oh my, I hadn’t realized there were so many responses. I was sad when there wasn’t any after five days and didn’t think to check the thread.

Thank you all for the responses! I think I want to go with an solid body electric — I foresee myself living in apartments for the rest of my life, and keeping my instruments on low volume is pretty important to me as I don’t like to disturb others. And I definitely want to play around with all the electric effects, I really want to be able to produce your typical, clean sounding harp tone, but also be able to play like a distorted guitar.

Jennifer — thanks for looking up the website. I’ve actually found another maker now located in Britain that seems more promising — http://www.selkiestrings.co.uk/travel.html

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