Style 11 on ebay

[KelsyAnne Schoenhaar]

http://cgi.ebay.com/LYON-HEALY-Concert-Harp-VGCond-NoReserve-PBSC-20982-/270596955835?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f00d5debb#ht_4244wt_1113

Had I not just purchased a harp… I’d be bidding. : )

[steven-todd-miller]

Is that permanent marker on the soundboard? What were they thinking?

[Dwyn .]

I saw that a couple of days ago and was so startled that I eBay-messaged the seller (who is actually an intermediary).

[KelsyAnne Schoenhaar]

All that considered… you may end up with a pretty good Style 11 for 8 or 9K. The external structure looks promising. (But I’m an optimist ; ) It was sad to see the permanent marker scrawl. It’s going to be much easier to remove adhesive than the marker.

[sherry-lenox]

I was so afraid when I saw those marks on the board, but I convinced myself that no one could be that dopey. It’s still SO beautiful. I hope someone rescues it.

[Karen Johns]

What a shame! I wonder how deep the marker ink has sunk into the surface lacquer. Does anyone know what type of finish L&H uses?

[carl-swanson]

A friend of mine who lives near where this harp is currently being kept went and looked at it this morning. Here is the text she sent me on it.

———————————————

It is badly beaten up but in relatively good shape.

The base does not seem to be pulling away.

The neck is not too bent to the left when viewed from the back.

No worm or water damage that I could tell.

The pedals all move smoothly and the strings basically cross over the

center screw of all discs.

Even the gilding is in good shape – except where it is banged and

battered.

The sound board is not bowed up and appears not to be cracked.

The base strings are all corroded and have cut through the wooden

discs intended to protect the soundboard

but have not damaged the board as far as I can tell.

The cover is a disaster but who cares?

Mostly there is wear. You can see on the right side where the finish

has been worn off from arm rubbing while playing.

There are many pits and gouges on soundboard, body and base but

nothing too severe except two places where the

body veneer has been literally cut out (see photo) and where the

gilding is pretty scraped off (see photo).

The entire mechanism is brown with age and covered with dust and junk

but still works just fine(!)

I reached into the sound holes in the back to remove a broken string

and found them to be very small – had a difficult

time getting my hand and arm in there. Is that common for a style

11? It would make changing strings a real pain.

Many strings were missing and none were in tune but the ones I plucked

sounded clear in the open position at least.

I don’t know why exactly but I don’t think it will have a very big

sound but it could be beautiful once it is fixed up.

I can’t figure out why it is so brown. Given that the arm wear on the

right reveals a lighter color, perhaps it was

finished in a darker shade to begin with?

———————————————-

She sent me a lot of photos which I’m not even going to attempt to up load here. But one photo shows two patches in the curly maple veneer on the body shell(the rounded shell that the soundboard is attached to). I can’t tell if they are just on the surface or if they go all the way through the body.

The neck looks a little warped but of course there is basically no tension on the strings now. I’m bothered by the fact that all of the natural wood parts of the instrument are so dark. I’m guessing that this harp sat in a blindingly bright sunlit window for years. I’m also guessing that someone in the house smoked, which would also add to the overall dark color, in particular on the action plates. Overall it looks like this instrument was not well cared for and was really banged around.

I had been mildly interested in this instrument, but I’m going to let it pass. I think it is going to take way too much work to put back into good playing condition.

[KelsyAnne Schoenhaar]

Thanks for the great information, Carl.

[robert-stone]

it got bid up to and sold for $9,200-still a good deal for an instrument that presently retails for $50,000.

[robert-stone]

I read the that Magic Eraser is good on porous surfaces

[Author]

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