Pros and Cons of buying used

[Elizabeth Huston]

I’m a professional harpist and I’m looking to buy a new harp. I’ve always bought used in the past since I was still a student, but now that I’m in the professional world I feel like I should buy new. I’ve found exactly what I want for much cheaper used, but I’m a little concerned about buying a 10-20 year old instrument. Is that silly?

[Gretchen Cover]

Elizabeth,

I am not a professional but I went through the same harp torture as you last year. I decided I wanted to part company with my 35 year old harp. I discovered in looking at used harps that if you have a problem – soundboard, neck, reriveting etc. that you are talking $3k and up plus shipping for a repair. I know I am meticulous about maintaining my harp and keeping it climate controlled, but you can’t be sure if someone else is. Is there any way a harp tech can inspect the harp? If you know the name of the tech who has taken care of the harp, he/she can give you a report on its condition. I know one person called the harp tech to find out about the condition of the harp I sold.

I ended up buying a new Salvi Apollo which I love (and are on sale right now). I am glad I went new. But if I were playing outdoor weddings or situations that would beat up the harp, I would buy used. And I would consider used if the harp was priced right to account for possible repairs.

[harriet-adie]

The advantage of buying ‘used’ is that the sound has had time to mature and mellow. If you buy a brand new harp it is difficult to know exactly what it will sounds like 5 or 10 years down the line. Having said that, I wouldn’t buy anything older than about 10 years if I had a choice as you won’t be as likely to have the maintenance problems that older harps inevitably get (you will get them at some point down the line). My current harp is a Salvi Diana which is over 40 years old. I would love to buy one of the new ones with the slightly extended sound boards as I want greater volume than I am currently getting. However, I am planning to wait a few years until they start to come onto the second hand market so I can knock off a few ££££s and will have a better idea of what they will sound like long term.

Some of the most beautiful, mellow, sustained sounding harps are Erards so go figure….

[kay-lister]

I bought my L&H 85 E Concertino directly from L&H, but it was a used harp (1 yr old). It was as if it NEVER had left the showroom floor and the sound is amazing. Now if you are considering a privately owned older harp, I would suggest that you get a good history on the harp if available and an updated report from a regulator who has checked it out thoroughly as well as given it a current regulation/new strings etc. There are some REAL gems to be had out there and $$$ to be saved. Just shop carefully.

Kay

[emma-graham]

I have done both. I have a Lyon and Healy style 11 that is over 35 years old. I bought her second hand and love her. The sound is beautiful but I have to treat her carefully and keep her regularly serviced and maintained. Her sound remains totally constant. Before I bought her she was given a thorough going over by the L and H technician here in the UK but that didn’t stop her breaking a couple of pedal rods and developing the biggest buzz in harp history shortly after I bought her. Sounds daft I know but it was almost as if she had decided to rebel at being sold to someone new. Once she settled and decided she liked me she has never had another problem.
Two years ago I was lucky enough to be in a position to buy a second harp new. I heard that there was a beautiful ebony and bronze 23 at the Lyon and Healy stockist so off I went to look. The sound blew me away instantly. I said yes there and then. Two years down the line and that amazing sound just keeps getting better and better. I can’t wait to hear what it will be like when he is over 30! I think that if you like the sound of a new harp then it will only improve. I would be wary of going for a new harp that you like the look of but that doesn’t quite have the sound you are after and then hoping that the sound will develop as the harp ages. It may but it may not. That’s not a risk I would want to take.

[Sylvia]

Both of my harps I bought new….back in the day, there was always a 3-yr waiting list for used. What I didn’t think of at the time is this:
If I were buying, I would want a new one that had been on the showroom floor for at least a year and had already had its first regulation. I figure the sound would be mellowed out a bit by then…and I would ask for a discount because it was a demo.

[sherry-lenox]

Both of my pedal harps were bought used but were bought from totally reliable harp businesses, not private sellers. I would never buy a brand new harp, or a brand new car, but in each case I look for a safe sale.

[gena-mcclure]

My harp was used and has a VERY rich and HUGE tone! It wasn’t played much and the soundboard is almost perfectly flat (despite the fact that it was build in the 70s)!!! I love it and I feel like it’s a part of me!

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