Salvi’s new concept soundboard

[Amy Wilson]

It has a dark warm sound.

That’s pretty unusual to have a loud harp with a warm tone, at least from what I’ve heard.

[J P]

I visited the Salvi showroom the other day and tried out all of the harps that were available. The Iris in Natural was quite impressive btw. The new soundboard design makes a world of difference. Up until yesterday my only experience with Salvi was very old auroras or dianas which were very heavy and just did not sound all that great. The new harps however are vastly improved. For one thing for the majority of the harps the weight issue is gone and no longer feels heavy on the shoulder which I found very surprising. The new soundboard really opens up the harp and makes it sing and adds such depth to it which is really quite nice. It still has the typical Salvi warm rich sound however and none of the overzealous bright tones of a LH. You can also experiment with different strings to see what gives you the best sound, what the factory puts on isn’t necessarily what’s best for your individual sound preference etc. I was impressed with the new boards and would consider purchasing a Salvi. Just my two cents

JP

[Amy Wilson]

You can also experiment with different strings to see what gives you
the best sound, what the factory puts on isn’t necessarily what’s best
for your individual sound preference etc.

Hi JP,

Could you elaborate on this?

[Charles]

Hello Everyone,

During my time working at the Harp Center, I got to tune, play and look at several diffrent makes and models of harps by Salvi, Camac and Lyon & Healy.

I loved all of them but my favorites were the Salvi harps especially the Arion model. They were so easy to move and play.

This past summer on my birthday I visited the Salvi Factory in Piasco Italy.

It was like a dream come true for me.

When we got to the part of the tour where the soundboards were talked about

I asked about the new concept soundboards and this is how it was explained to me. The

[Philippa mcauliffe]

How funny.

[Charles]

Georgina,

How funny we must have just missed each other!

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

The idea of a harp is that the strings should ring with multitudes of overtones. It should not sound like a piano or a guitar. Some makers are apparently trying to go in that direction. To characterize a Lyon & Healy harp as overzealously bright would seem to me to be missing the point of it all. They have been the standard for 100 years. Salvi harps have never projected as well because they do not produce all the overtones and are too heavy. I suspect they are even heavier now, though the new board would compensate for that. I believe Venus is using the same type of material, which is a layer of kevlar within the sounding board, which require the use of glues or epoxies to hold it all together. I’m sure a lot of research went into this, but with what goal? Why should a harp be darkened and lose its angelic qualities? That has not been the sound of a harp. Erards had a lot of ring. The pear-shaped sounding-board of the 23 is what produces this ideal tone. Granted, I rarely heard anything but a Lyon & Healy until I was in college. But I have never taken to the sound of any other harp as well. The harp should be no noticable weight on your shoulder. If it is, you will probably end up with physical problems unless you really keep in shape, and even then….

So, a louder Salvi harp may be preferable if not heavier, but it is still a step in the wrong direction, if you ask me.

[Gretchen Cover]

I have played a Salvi Aurora since I bought mine new in 1976.

[J P]

Honestly it all boils down to personal preference. I’ve played on duds from all companies, Lyon and Healy is not exempt from this. I suggest you try as many as you possibly can before drawing conclusions and judgements. I personally was never impressed with Salvis up until now. The new soundboard design has dramatically improved the sound. I’m all for people making their own educated opinions and not simply regurgitating their teacher’s own personal bias and agendas. I was fed that BS for years and it has taken at least two years to shake off that there’s a certain way to play a certain harp to play and if you deviate then you’re somehow less of a person or harpist. It’s all a matter of personal taste and what concept of sound you want to achieve and embody. BTW, there are professionals with tenure positions that play Salvis, Patty in the DSO immediately comes to mind.

[luanne-oreilly]

Not dumb at all.

[Amy Wilson]

Hi Luanne,

Just curious, but if the size of the harp is smaller, how are they fitting 47 strings in it?

[Amy Wilson]

JP,

I was hoping you would tell me more about the other string options for a Salvi semi/grand!

[Sam Karlinski]

Amy,

There have been other threads on this site that have lots of information on all the types of strings you can use, so if you go there you’ll probably find more useful information than asking here. I think I started one of them a while back, so you can just go into my posting history to find it!

Saul,

It sounds like the general consensus is that the new soundboard is an improvement. People who didn’t like Salvi’s are now opening up to them, and people who already liked them now like them even more. On what basis do you say that it is a step in the wrong direction? Have you played or heard one of these harps? If anything, I think a louder Salvi would also have louder overtones, thereby becoming closer to the sound that you said you enjoy.

~Sam

[Amy Wilson]

Thanks, Sam!

[J P]

To the personal that wanted more info regarding strings: experimentation with different brands to see what gives you the best sound that you like. Bow brand, nylon, pirastro, tarnish resistant, silver/cooper, vaderbilt classics if you can still find them. My own personal stringing preferences include: silver/copper wires, vanderbilt gut in octaves 345, and pirastro nylon in 012 octaves. I love my configuration and feels it gives my harp a bea.utiful sheen on rop

[Author]

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