Home › Forums › Harps and Accessories › Are Venus Harps as good as Lyon & Healy?
- This topic has 111 replies, 29 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 7 months ago by jessica-wolff.
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February 26, 2006 at 7:23 pm #69211joan-steinbergParticipant
I
February 24, 2007 at 2:41 pm #69212unknown-userParticipantAndrea Mumm on 09/15/02 12:00 AM
I
have been playing on my Lyon and Healy style 19 harp for 6 years now
and even though my harp is 90 years old, it still is in tact and plays
beautifully.February 24, 2007 at 4:13 pm #69213carl-swansonParticipantMichael- your post is just wonderful and should appear as a soundingboard piece, if it hasn’t already.
February 24, 2007 at 5:08 pm #69214barbara-brundageParticipantMark, hi! Nice to see you here!
February 24, 2007 at 9:58 pm #69215carl-swansonParticipantI’ve been doing a slow burn over this thread ever since I read it this morning. The question at the top of the thread is rude and insulting, and all harp makers should be offended by it. It would be appropriate to ask what other’s expeience is with this or that make of instrument, even though that too is highly subjective. It would be better to post the question asking what kind of harp other readers have and why they like them. That could be very informative, although again, subjective. But the wording of that question is incredibly crass.
February 25, 2007 at 4:20 pm #69216Bonnie ShaljeanParticipantJust saw this thread, and I share Carl’s and Mark’s feelings. The soundboard pulled up “5 times in 9 years”???? This is an abnormal occurrence for a concert harp of any brand, so there is obviously more to the story than Andrea is telling us. (Why?) NO modern-made soundboard just “pulls off” of its own accord unless it has been subjected to abuse. It GETS pulled off by some sort of damage or abnormal stress. What did this friend string the harp with – guy wires from the Titanic?
The manufacturers (who are well known for their helpfulness & backup support) were clearly never contacted, which is very strange. Was it because the friend was afraid they’d see what had been done to their harp to cause the problem?
For the record: my Venus Prodigy, one of their smaller instruments, has a huge sound and projection, as well as great depth of resonance. I sold my Lyon & Healy (itself a lovely harp which I liked very much), a choice I have never regretted.
It’s evil-minded to publicly make such allegations while leaving the company whose name is being slandered in ignorance. It just sounds like exaggerated, half-baked grapevine-gossip, irresponsibly and mindlessly repeated – while remaining quite unburdened by any hard facts.
February 25, 2007 at 7:21 pm #69217Denise KrasickiParticipantAs did I as well Carl,
February 25, 2007 at 10:46 pm #69218Saul Davis ZlatkovskiParticipantOne thing is clear, that most harp manufacturers have been improving the quality of their harps over the years. We have more models to choose from, more sizes, and a wider price range. They are to be applauded.
I hope that all harp manufacturers realize that our art is very much dependent upon their practices and their decisions affect deeply what we are able to do. Discontinuing an accessory can have serious ramifications for our music, even if it was not a best-selling item. I hope they realize that they cannot be solely business-people, but participants in our art. Don Henry always realized this, I think, and made music available to us at little or no profit, by publishing it and stocking the rare and unusual.
Historically, the desire to support Lyon & Healy has been strong in order to maintain a standard of sound and appearance, and to always have their best harps available to us. Now, other manufacturers have similar support for their achievements. As we strive to maintain our standards, they must also strive to maintain and better their standards.
I think that the confusion over what harp to buy has increased with the increase in brands and models. It would help if they were clearly labeled as to their projected use: student model, compact professional, much
February 26, 2007 at 5:55 pm #69219unknown-userParticipantI am also guilty of having thought that Lyon & Healy was “it”.
February 26, 2007 at 5:59 pm #69220unknown-userParticipantOops, I didn’t realize that this question was posted
February 26, 2007 at 6:07 pm #69221Briggsie B. PeawiggleParticipantWell don’t be equally guilty of thinking Steinway is the be-all and end-all of pianos either. Each piano is individual as each harp is. I would rather have a Pleyel or Boesendorfer than a Steinway, and as I’m sure there are wonderful Steinway pianos, there are also some real bombs. I’ve never played a Pleyel that didn’t sound fabulous.
I’ve played good and bad L&H harps, good and bad Camac harps, good and bad Salvi harps. (Sorry never played a Venus.) But my point is that I don’t think ANY brand should become the standard. It makes people think they are all — every single harp — wonderful, and that just isn’t true.
June
May 13, 2007 at 11:36 pm #69222john DoeParticipantIt is
May 14, 2007 at 6:07 am #69223unknown-userParticipantHi again John,
What Camac do you have, or would like to have? I’m not that familiar with their models….Do you like yours very very much?
It sounds like you do not like Salvi. Yes, they are heavier than other models, but their concert grands are usually very well balanced, and I find no problem off setting the weight. But it does depend on your size and build. No brand of harp is universally good for all people. The finishes, yes they do crack with age – but that is common with all brands of harp. The nitro cellulose tends to be too soft and mark and discolour very easily, and although it allows the wood to breath, it does not protect the wood from temperature changes.
Some
May 15, 2007 at 2:02 am #69224David IceParticipantHi have to jump in a bit.
May 15, 2007 at 12:41 pm #69225unknown-userParticipant…Hmmm. What else is good about Salvi, as
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