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Harp for playing around a campfire?

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Home Forums Harps and Accessories Harp for playing around a campfire?

Viewing 7 posts - 16 through 22 (of 22 total)
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  • #194886
    Biagio
    Participant

    Jacob,

    I had earlier mentioned the Limerick as an excellent choice for your purposes.  Here’s a used one on Ebay at a very good price.

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Musicmakers-Limerick-Celtic-Lap-Harp-w-Knee-Bones-Case-/131807439155?hash=item1eb055e933:g:Z9IAAOSwVC1XL8tc

     

     

     

     

     

    #194888
    randal
    Participant

    It appears the author of the thread hasn’t checked-in in a while .. I do hope that the desire for a harp hasn’t waned.

    FWIW, I have a Cunningham 22-str harp that I don’t use – it would make an excellent camping harp I suppose, although I haven’t done any camping in quite a while (were I to camp now I would take some of my little instruments – flute, charango, m’bira, etc).   My intent was to use it as a therapy harp, but I’ve other instruments that I prefer.  I suppose it would make a rather fine camping harp – and it already has a couple of dings in it, so it needn’t evoke particular concern for its cosmetic preservation.  A great wee harp that I’d be willing to pass along at a good price to someone who will put it to use.  Email me if you’re interested in photos, etc.

    #194889
    jacobpewitt
    Participant

    I’m surprised at how much steam this thread picked up so long after I originally posted it, but am glad it served as useful fodder for conversation! I appreciate everybody’s input.

    I ended up narrowing my choices down to a Hayden Harp, which I like for its size, very low weight, ruggedness, and beautiful tone; and a Marini Made Bass Minstrel, which I like for its extended range, more traditional construction, and lovely tone.

    Ultimately I decided to go with the Marini Made because I wanted the extra versatility of the additional strings. I’ve had it for a few weeks now, and love it. Unfortunately my harp teacher is moving to Boston – tomorrow will be my last lesson with her. There’s only one other harp teacher in town, who teaches at the local university. She doesn’t normally take on adult students that aren’t harp majors at the college, but my teacher is going to try to get her to make an exception for me since I actually practice regularly. Wish me luck. Otherwise I’m on my own.

    I don’t think there is really a harp that exists that would meet my criteria for bringing on backpacking trips. It’s just not the right instrument for that. So I’ll learn ocarina or something that is better suited to that application, but will focus on the harp for general musical satisfaction and for car camping trips.

    To answer Elettaria’s question about why I didn’t like the dulcimer, it was just a matter of it not being musically fulfilling for me to play. I’m well aware of what a talented dulcimer player can do with it. I just didn’t enjoy playing it enough to be able to get to a point where I was that good. Practicing it felt like a chore.

    Harp, on the other hand, just “feels” right. I can’t explain why. It just seems like it’s the instrument that I want to play. Playing it brings me joy in a way that playing Dulcimer doesn’t, even though the dulcimer is, objectively speaking, better suited for my intended purposes.

    In case you get keen on the dulcimer again, my partner has a travel dulcimer from Pete Staehling of Feather Dulcimer.

    Funny you should mention this, as I had him build one custom for me when I first started playing the dulcimer. He happens to have retired to the town where I live, so I got to go to his workshop and pick out the wood that he built it with. He’s a great guy.

    #194965
    Elettaria
    Member

    Isn’t he?  I’m glad you found a harp for you, it looks lovely on the website.  And fair enough, we all suit different instruments.  Ocarinas are nice wee things, we’ve been on holiday with an ocarina for my partner and a recorder for me, and they’re easy to slip into a pocket and take to the beach (it was a plastic recorder, before anyone faints).

    #199796
    Barbara
    Participant

    I also suggest looking into the little cardboard harps. I have two students with them, and they are really sweet little harps! You can purchase kits in varying levels of completion (I think), as well as fully made, if that’s something you’d be interested in.

    #199941
    Elettaria
    Member

    Barbara, could you tell me more about your experiences with cardboard harps? I’m currently plotting to get a friend to build me a slightly adapted version of a Waring.

    #212121
    duckspeaks
    Participant

    My Freudian observation, I kept on seeing “harp for campfire”… Is it just me?

    There is a Tasmanian harp builder who uses aluminium. Alice Giles seems to have used one in the Antartica so must be good enough near fire as well.

Viewing 7 posts - 16 through 22 (of 22 total)
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