harpcolumn

Are Venus Harps as good as Lyon & Healy?

Log in to your Harp Column account to post or reply in the forums. If you don’t have an account yet, you’ll need to email us to set one up.

Home Forums Harps and Accessories Are Venus Harps as good as Lyon & Healy?

Viewing 15 posts - 16 through 30 (of 112 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #69211
    joan-steinberg
    Participant
    I
    #69212
    unknown-user
    Participant

    Andrea Mumm on

    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.
    #69213
    carl-swanson
    Participant

    Michael- your post is just wonderful and should appear as a soundingboard piece, if it hasn’t already.

    #69214
    barbara-brundage
    Participant

    Mark, hi! Nice to see you here!

    #69215
    carl-swanson
    Participant

    I’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.

    #69216
    Bonnie Shaljean
    Participant

    Just 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.

    #69217
    Denise Krasicki
    Participant

    As did I as well Carl,

    #69218

    One 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

    #69219
    unknown-user
    Participant

    I am also guilty of having thought that Lyon & Healy was “it”.

    #69220
    unknown-user
    Participant

    Oops, I didn’t realize that this question was posted

    #69221

    Well 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

    #69222
    john Doe
    Participant

    It is

    #69223
    unknown-user
    Participant

    Hi 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

    #69224
    David Ice
    Participant

    Hi have to jump in a bit.

    #69225
    unknown-user
    Participant

    …Hmmm. What else is good about Salvi, as

Viewing 15 posts - 16 through 30 (of 112 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.