Salvi harps in dry climates?

[HBrock25]

I’m considering purchasing a Salvi and I live in Northern Utah. I’m wondering if the rumors are true that the wood cracks after x number of years?? If that’s true, what can be done about it?

On top of that concern, specifically I’m thinking of buying the 50th Anniversary harp and, with the extensive inlay, will that be another issue of the inlay possibly separating?

I’m in love with that harp, but I don’t want to spend that kind of money on one that won’t hold together! Please share what you know and your experiences — any Arianna owners?

Thanks ~

[David Ice]

I owned a Salvi Aurora for years, living both in LA (high humidity) and in Phoenix (nearly zero humidity.)

[carl-swanson]

Anything made of wood(musical instrument, antique furniture, etc.) will suffer from excessive dryness. No matter what you get, try to keep the harp in a closed off room where you can keep a humidifier going that will keep the humidity between 40% to 60% relative humidity. Even if you are moving the harp out of that controlled environment a lot, for gigs or whatever, returning it to that humidified room will help prevent problems. Harps don’t dry out instantly when they go into a very dry environment. It takes months.

[louise-vickerman]

The Utah Symphony owned a Salvi Arianna. We purchased it right after I joined the orchestra in 1999 & owned it for 10 yrs before it suffered a disaster right before a dress rehearsal for Ein Heldenleben by falling off a riser & being totalled 🙁

It held up fine in this climate, it was stored at the hall in a temperature controlled (but NOT humidity controlled) environment, we used it for subscription runouts (before & after we acquired a temperature controlled truck) & even took it on tour to Europe so it was subject to many environment changes. I didn’t experience any problems with inlay or wood cracking.

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