GOOD experiences with cheap “ebay” harps?

[Sarah Collins]

I’ve been browsing through the posts in this forum and although I can appreciate the very good advice of professional harpists warning against the mid-east harps sold on ebay, I was wondering if anyone had “lucked out” and recieved a decent harp from these sellers.

Some background info on myself: I’m a 22 year old recent college graduate who is currently doing Americorps. Needless to say, I’m extremely poor (I’m getting paid $11,000 for 10 months of service and have very little in savings). I’ve been wanting to play an instrument for years and have loved the sound of celtic harps forever. At this point in my life the choice is between buying a harp from ebay with some christmas money from my parents (about $150 which I probably shouldn’t spend anyway) or waiting several years to buy a real harp. I’m also located in Amherst MA and can’t seem to find anywhere that I might rent a harp (I’ve already looked at a great deal of online directories).

Has anyone lucked out with a decent harp from these sellers? Can you recommend a seller? I figure that if I do paypal, I can return it if it’s horrible and get my money back. I figure it’s worth a try since some people sound like they got OK harps. I’d like a small harp, probably Pixie just to spend some evenings “playing around” on. I have no expectations of becoming a trained or professional musician at this point in my life.

[harpglo-jean]

Hi Kelly,

If you want to “rent” a harp try the Harp Connection in Salem, MA (Harpconnection.com).

[jennifer-buehler]

Look into a Harpsicle.

[Tacye]

For that price I would be more inclined to look at the Waring ‘cardboard’ harps.

[Sarah Collins]

I’ve checked out Harpconnection.com and unfortunately, it seems that the cheapest you can rent for is $50 a month plus a $125 security deposit. I honestly only make a little shy of $1000 a month “working” full-time for Americorps. I was planning to just use christmas money to buy a very cheap starter harp, or rent at a low enough amount that I could stretch my christmas money over several months. I couldn’t even afford one month with Harpconnection.com if the security deposit were that high.

Thanks for the suggestion though!

[Sarah Collins]

I’ve checked out Harpconnection.com and unfortunately, it seems that
the cheapest you can rent for is $50 a month plus a $125 security
deposit. I honestly only make a little shy of $1000 a month “working”
full-time for Americorps. I was planning to just use christmas money to
buy a very cheap starter harp, or rent at a low enough amount that I
could stretch my christmas money over several months. I couldn’t even
afford one month with Harpconnection.com if the security deposit were
that high.

Thanks for the suggestion though!

[patricia-jaeger]

Kelly, Please locate someone who is a member of AHS, who will

[janet-king]

Kelly

[Sarah Collins]

I just wanted to thank everyone for their wonderful advice. This really
is a very warm community! I’m looking into everything that was
mentioned here about contacting local harpers/harpists. I’m also
looking into contacting local teachers to see if I could do lessons in
order to learn how to play and use a harp. It also occured to me that I
should probably look into whether or not the Colleges in the area have
harps I might be able to practice on.

If I do buy a harp and I can’t find one kicking around, I might just by
a Harpsicle with Christmas money + savings. It would serve my purposes
for now and when I start teaching full-time next September (and will be
making more than triple what I make now!), I’ll probably skip ahead to
a used Belvin or Stoney End, rather than go without a harp for 6 months
just so I can save up for something on my current measly pay check. If
anyone knows of any great listings where I might even stumble upon a
used Harpsicle, that would be great!

[andy-b]

Kelly, the Virginia Harp Center has a Harpsicle on their website…you might give them a call and see if it’s still available.

[unknown-user]

Hey Kelly! I want to put in a plug for the Waring cardboard harps. Last spring, I was 23, a recent college grad, and ridiculously broke to the point of couch-surfing… but I couldn’t get playing the harp out of my head, and even a Harpsicle seemed way too expensive. So I got the Waring kit for $130 on amazon.com. I put it together in a couple of days, and everybody I’ve shown it to has been *shocked* by how good it sounds. It’s quiet, but it has a lovely tone. And it’s so light and easy to carry; I took it outside to the park with me all summer. I even painted it a funky bright blue.

If you would like to visit my Waring harp to see how it sounds, I live in the near Boston suburbs… we’re practically neighbors, in the grand scheme of things. Or I could try to send you a sound sample, though my computer microphone is pretty crap.

Cheers!
Molly

(Epilogue: I have since become less broke, and my first paycheck at my new job went to a) harp lessons, and b) a L&H Shamrock rental from Harp Connection. I warn you, this “harp lust” exerts a powerful grip!)

[unknown-user]

Hello!,

Im a lurker who just wanted to chime in!

I have a cheap “ebay” harp. I bought it extra cheap used at a music store. I am fully aware that it isn’t a good harp (I have affectionately named it Crappyharp). However I am on a really really tight budget. Also I live in a tiny apartment that experiences pretty extreme temperature/moisture changes which would be very bad for a “good” harp. So those two things combined make me not care so much that I have a cheap harp. I’ve learned quite a lot on it. I also have a lovely harp teacher who is polite enough not to voice her disdain or

[Audrey Nickel]

I have to add to this that you can get a Harpsicle for just a little more would pay for a Pakistani harp.

[jennifer-buehler]

If you haven’t bought your harp yet I thought I’d point out that Sylvia Woods

[michael-rockowitz]

I wanted to respond to these posts.

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