Harp covers

[barbara-brundage]

>By far the best thing I would like to see is a way to pack up and store the covers when not in use

For my L&H transport cover for the concert grand that I don’t use much, I put the column cover inside the big cover, fold it half lengthwise and then roll it up as tightly as I can and bungee it with two heavy bungee cords. It goes into a reasonably sized roll–no worse than a lightweight sleeping bag.

The base cover is always a problem, though.

[carl-swanson]

Dear Darth- That was one of the main reasons I decided to have my own covers made, to my specifications. I wanted something that was easy to fold up and store. Years ago when I was still freelancing, I would always use whatever chair I could find at the venue and fold up the harp cover and sit on it. Can’t do that with transport covers!

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

Thank you, Carl. It is comforting to know that some one is out there thinking about our needs.

[carl-swanson]

Thanks Saul.

[Catherine Heise]

Hope to see a picture of it on your website soon!

[carl-swanson]

Catherine- I’m hoping to get some pictures this week and then have a new page up on my company web site the following week. it might be possible to sew a strap on one side of the cover that would pass under the harp and tie on the other side. But again, it might be better for the harpist who wants that to put it on the cover when they get it since not everyone would use it and for those who don’t it could get in the way. I find that when I slide the harp out of the car, if I just remember to hold the bottom edge of the cover in one hand it stays in place and doesn’t slide up.

[carl-swanson]

Just wanted to let everyone know that if FINALLY got a new page up on my web site (www.swansonharp.com) for the harp covers. Nice pictures and description. My web designer set it up so they can be ordered right there on line. I’d love to hear some feedback from you about it so I can make improvements to the page, the ordering process, etc. Email me privately at: swan harp@earthlink.net. Thanks all.

[martha-moor]

I just received my new Swanson harp covers and I’m thrilled! For years I’ve been lamenting the loss of canvas covers with TIES — they were always the best, but haven’t been available for a very long time.

The fit is perfect on my three concert grands (a L&H Style 30, a Swanson La Scuola and a Swanson Empire) and the seaming is beautifully finished inside — a nice surprise.

My mover tested it out last night (I live in a third-floor walk-up, and he carries the harp down to my car — and back up). I thought he might be unhappy there wasn’t a slot behind the body, but he said it was no problem — the fabric is flexible enough to get a firm hold on the harp right through it. He said “This is really nice!”

The ties are well-placed and the cover overlaps a couple of inches, so it doesn’t fly open in the wind; also, the lap is sewn shut near the crown, so there’s no worry of a gap there either.

Best of all, they fold up small and don’t weigh a ton! Thank you, Carl!

[Julie Jones]

Will one of your harp covers fit the newly-designed Caswell Sweetharp? Chris Caswell has no idea when all the Sweetharp cases his customers, me included, have prepaid for will be made. I am located in the US near San Francisco.

Thanks.

[carl-swanson]

As of right now, the covers are only for pedal harps.

[sharon-avis–2]

I’ve never had much trouble with the new transport covers being loud or hard to use while moving.

[carl-swanson]

I’m probably going to include with each cover an instruction sheet on how to take care of them. John Escosa gave me the great idea, many years ago, to always cut the wire strings flush with the tuning pin, with no string end sticking out. It works fine on wire strings and saves the cover from snagging on that sharp end. Another way is to take a pair of needle nose pliers and bend the wire string end, which you leave maybe 1 inch or less long, around so the end is facing in towards the neck, again, so there is nothing to snag on the cover.

[Briggsie B. Peawiggle]

I am using a Camac Athena extended cover made expressly for that harp. I love how it’s made…..It has slits for slipping your hand in along the column, and you can reach in and grab the base on the base cover, but……you are right about the storage problem. It’s big and bulky. I can sort of roll it up and push it into a box which takes up 3/4 of the floor of the closet. It’s a big pain in that regard. I also like though that it has a sort of built-in column cover on it, and I like that it is semi-protected from moisture outside. I’d be interested in seeing yours on your website. Do you have them shown there? Maybe I should go look.

Briggsie

[carl-swanson]

Briggsie- The harp cover page has been up since before I left for Europe. There are several pictures and you can also order right there. Let me know if you have any problem getting to that page or if something doesn’t come up correctly. Go to http://www.swansonharp.com to find it.

[Briggsie B. Peawiggle]

Thank you, Carl. Your covers are really very nice and well thought-out.

Briggsie

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