Lever Problem

[unknown-user]

Hellllo, all.

I have a Lyon & Healy Prelude lever harp (got it used, good condition, around Christmas,
so about a month ago). The other day when I finished playing a piece, I reached up to
switch keys (by, of course, switching levers), and one of the strings, a very low A string,
got caught in the lever. I was able to turn the lever off of the string, but as I did, the string
somehow got caught in it and now it has a small ridge in the string from where the lever
touches it. This happened many times on that string/lever, but I was finally able to fix it.

I was just wondering if this has happened to anybody else’s lever harp?

[unknown-user]

Cameron… I don’t have a lever harp right now, but my last one (a L&H Troubadour V) never had that problem.

[unknown-user]

To answer your question: Yes.

[unknown-user]

Sometimes regular levers can be rather sticky, therefor taking up extra time at performances. As you have probably guessed, performance levers have a smoother action. Pressure might not be the only other explanation for this, as I used to tune my E’s and B’s flat for minor pieces. I can assure you, the levers where up for extended periods of time while playing major pieces.

[unknown-user]

In that case, yes, I have performance levers (at least I think so). My last harp, a 29-string
lever harp levers that were less smooth in raising/lowering. The ones on my Prelude are
very smooth and fluent. That’s why when one of the lower strings got caught in the lever, I
was kind of freaked out. When I say “left the levers up for too long” I meant for over 24
hours. I was gone all day Friday (school, then to a friend’s house) and had forgotten all
about the levers being left up. So the next day when I sat down at the harp and it
happened. (trust me, I do try to remember to put the levers down at all times when I’m not
practicing!)

Thanks for your help! – Cameron

[unknown-user]

I meant over 24 hours too (in addition to the long pieces, of course)!
No problem. -Aubrey

[unknown-user]

I don’t think leaving levers up, for a long time, is particularly a problem.

[unknown-user]

I have that problem! If it’s a Troubadour I have the same harp, except I bought mine five years ago. Here’s the deal, my levers are defective, it doesn’t make sense that yours would be, but my levers catch the strings and fray them, and my levers will fall while I’m playing, if you end up having that problem, call Lyon& Healy and tell them, becuase you’re harp should still be under warrenty and they’ll have to fix it instead of you paying to have the levers re-done or re-stringing the harp.

[unknown-user]

Thank God I’m not the only one! I was seriously starting to get worried. And nice word to
describe the strings – “Frayed.” That fits how it is perfectly… Jeez I need to expand my
vocabulary. My harp isn’t a Troubador.. It’s a L&H Prelude. It’s about 3-4 years old (it’s
used). I might call L&H though and ask them about it. Ah well, good to know it’s not just
me.

[unknown-user]

Oh. Know what? Around the time when I first got the harp, I think I might have tuned those
strings, simply forgetting the levers were still up, which might have caused the strings to
shift and fray. =|

[Author]

Posts