Border Harps, George Leverett Harps, Stoney End??

[unknown-user]

Hello!

Does anyone have a harp made by Border Harps (the 26-string Wye, or the 25-string lap harp), George Leverett or Stoney End? I would really appreciate your opinions on any of the above: what’s the sound like, are the spacing and the tension of the strings all right, are they good value for money, etc.

I’m planning to buy a harp, but I just want to compare the ranges of different makers and hear some honest opinions before I splurge… What would you say about the soundboard being made of laminate or plywood? Sounds a bit fishy to me, but I might be wrong:)

Thanks,

Nora

[jennifer-buehler]

I used to own a Stoney End 22 string.

[Leigh Griffith]

Hi Nora,

I have an 11 year old 22 string Stoney End ‘Eve’ lap harp and I love it
for all of the reasons Jennifer mentioned. I took it to Arizona (from
Maine) in the overhead bin of the plane (pre-9/11), and my teacher has
been very impressed with the sound. On high parts it cuts through the
rest of the ensemble (up to 13 other harps) and can be heard in the
back of the church. That said, I just bought a new harp that is not a
Stoney End for mainly two reasons. One is number of strings. I can’t
reach the strings on their 34 string model and the next smallest has 29
strings, which I can reach. What I bought is a 34 string Triplett
Sierra of which I can reach all the strings.

The other reason is that

[Tacye]

I have both a 25 string Border ‘knee’ harp and a Stoney End Eve. My Border does good service as a hire harp for beginners, has a nice reliable sound and response though is very large and chunky for its range (it has however withstood being knocked over and other such hazards). I have never felt much desire to play it myself. The Eve is much brighter sounding and louder and I can carry it on a bicycle and support it on my calves to play allowing me to sit on a normal chair and not fuss with stools or such… The Eve came with Loveland levers while the ‘hooks’ on the Border were a frustrating pain and I replaced them- the cam lever option will be worth it.

[Author]

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