Harp Lever Extenders

[michael-rockowitz]

Does anyone have any experience with using an extension on your harp lever, basically to make the lever easier to see, grab, and move?

I have a (relatively) inexpensive pakistani Minstrel harp.

[unknown-user]

As no one else stepped up to the plate on this one, I shall do so.

[michael-rockowitz]

[barbara-brundage]

I would be concerned about the stress put on the fulcrum point by your lever extenders. Those pakistani levers are plated pot metal, and they are not really designed to take a lot of strain. Particularly with the extra quick shoving needed to compensate for the longer throw, you might run an increased risk of snapping off the lever handle.

[unknown-user]

Hello Michael,

Well, I’m unsure of lever extenders. However! My first harp was a Mid-east Minstrel harp. (29 strings )

[michael-rockowitz]

Thank you Barbara and Christopher for your responses.

Barbara, the levers that came with the minstrel harp are a problem, mostly because of their stiffness, and the force it takes to use them.

[michael-rockowitz]

[unknown-user]

Wow Michael, you sure put a lot of work into that!! I don’t know if I would’ve done so….

I had the same harp. My levers weren’t as stiff as yours, but I’ve heard about that. Mine were just… very bad. The tiny metal bar that pinched the string, was crooked. In all of the octaves, every F# sounded different. LOL! I just didn’t want to replace all of the levers.

However, the sounded grew a nice little pot belly on it, and the sound matured after a year. It sounded quite good.

PS: I had sold that harp, and the woman who bought it uses it to play with a group at church! They started a lovely little group and she’s having a blast! The neck did crack on the instrument, but she found a book to fix it, and apparently she did fix it!

Goodluck with your levers and happy harping!

[unknown-user]

Oh and robinsons or loveland levers,(which ones i cant remember..) worked good on it. I also heard of someone replacing the dupont nylon strings with Robinson Harp strings. Apparently the sound came out even nicer!!

[michael-rockowitz]

[unknown-user]

Eeek, yeah, sorry about that Michael. I keep mentioning that! It really doesn’t make sense to put nice levers on it. Levers can be quite overpriced….

I actually went back and forth with Mid-east about the levers. Mine didn’t give accurate half step raises…

I talked to

[michael-rockowitz]

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