PIlgrim Progress

[Mary James]

Hello! I was wondering how far one can go with this small pedal harp. I will be for a while in the UK and since my budget is limited I was thinking of getting a used “Progress” (I already own a 46 string pedal harp back in my country and is really expensive to travel with it).

I have been informed that this model is often used by traveling orchestras because of it’s size, does anybody know anything about it? Are there too many limitations in the repertoire because of the range?

I would really appreciate your opinion as more experienced harpist! Thank you!

Here are the informations and the link:

Strings: 41

Range: 1st C to 7th E

Height: 151cm, 59.5in

Extreme Width: 87cm, 34n

Weight: 22.7kg, 50lbs

http://www.pilgrimharps.co.uk/progress.htm

[Tacye]

Hi Maria,
I had a Pilgrim Progress when I was learning, and several friends have also played them.

[Dorian Llywelyn]

I very much concur with Tacye’s opinion. I owned a straight-soundboard Progress for almost twenty years, took it across Europe several times and shipped it over to the US. They are great little harps, and I was able to get by with most repertoire, with a little adjustment. Excellent for solo gigging such as weddings or receptions.

My own opinion is that the Progress could probably get by in small ensembles, but that the sound is simply too small for big orchestras. When I started to play in rock and jazz-blues ensembles where I sometimes had to compete with a large battery of percussion and brass, the Progress – even amplified – was not loud enough. So I got a large Venus, which projects magnificently.

The one thing I miss is the Pilgrim’s size and weight. I could pick it up and carry it on my shoulders. It was very comfortable to play, despite its size – the balance is really nice. The spacing’s easy for people with big fingers. The pedals are close together, but your feet soon learn to adapt. It’s very transportable – you can lay it across the back seat of a saloon car.

There’s a youtube of a Progress on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlziV90H4yo – the sound is fairly typical – reminds me of the old Erards I grew up playing.

[Mary James]

Thank you both for your kind answers. Your informations are really helpful and your opinion is considered!

[Alison]

Hi Tacye. Can I just check, that at the age of 12 and 4ft something you didn’t find the string spacing of the Progress too much of a stretch, nor the pedals too far away, or awkward…. I am having to think quite carefully about what to propose for a new pupil, luckily I have a PPP myself although I use it as a handy second practice-harp, weekends away and occasionally in lightweight rehearsals but never in concerts so hadn’t thought it had the potential for youngsters & exams even though I always regard it as a teenage harp. At some point I will try the pupil for size on harps. Also I know mine is HEAVY, was that ever a problem ? thanks, Alison

[Tacye]

Hi Alison,
I got mine about my 13th birthday, but have always been slight so probably was still 4 foot something. I had hired a non-pedal Progress from when I started playing on entering senior school and changed with no problems. Weight wasn’t a problem at all – harp held near point of balance, resting mostly on knees not shoulder and when it needed moving I mostly walked it or occasionally applied dad to the problem. Chair height needed a cushion as I didn’t have an adjustable stool. String spacing also I didn’t notice to question. I had my lessons on a Gothic Erard and was happy with that too.

You can get pedal extenders if needed. Some of the youtube videos of Ben Creighton Griffiths from several years back illustrate how a small person can play a large harp.

I believe, if it makes a difference, that Pilgrim are no longer making new Progresses (they have certainly been half removed from the website) but they do come up used quite often including one in Pilgrim’s current listing and one on Jack Hayward’s.

[Alison]

that’s helpful & yes I’ve seen those ads too, so I have phoned Pilgrim and they have a fleet of hire instruments, so we can wait. Not keen on pedal extenders and mine are very long (horiz) and need substituting with shorter ones, as G# hits the floor – I need to get them changed. The instrument has always seemed heavy to me and whilst I think the mechanism and metalwork are very sturdy, it has a different balance to other harps. It’s too small and cramped for my height (5’7”) so uncomfortable, but I can do useful work with it.

[Bonnie Shaljean]

I have a Progress (and love it) and find that if I sit on a slightly lower stool, the balance works out fine (I’m 5’5″). So I’ve had no hassles provided I adjust the height I sit at.

It’s a great harp for folkier, less formal gigs – not just because of its relative portability, but also the more casual image it projects. I’ve strung mine with lever-gauge gut instead of full concert gauge, which gives it a brighter, more silvery tone.

I bought the second one they ever made, and nearly 30 years on, it’s rarely needed a service. Still going strong. (If any of you know me from Facebook, it’s the harp I’m playing in my header-photo.)

[Alison]

My Progress is nearly 20 years old, the first with an extended soundboard with a vertical grain and yes it’s been to Edinburgh and Berlin with me and is great for weekends away and when my own harp is wrapped up or unavailable – think it will now be very useful for teaching although I am a little precious about its lacquer finish.

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