Transport cover reviews

[rachel-fowler]

Hello all,
I’m currently searching for transport cover reviews! I own a L&H 85 semi-grand, and am looking for something that would suffice in Oregon’s rainy weather, and not be a huge hassle to store. (I currently transport my harp about 3-5 times a month, and use only the L&H dust cover, which isn’t great for rain.) I’ve looked into the L&H and Salvi sets, and I like the look of the Salvi fasteners better, but am not sure it would fit a L&H harp.
And as far as needing all three pieces of the cover set, is that really necessary, or would just the mitten-shaped main cover be sufficient for short trips? Any thoughts appreciated!

[erin-wood]

I personally do not like the hassle of the 3 piece sets. I have a venus tranport cover that offers nice padding and is weather resistant fabric. It does not have a base covering and I usually just put a piece of cardboard down to set it on when I load it. But I have seen someone make their own base cover by cutting out a big circle of vinyl and then punching holes around the edge and then lacing a string through them. Then they just pull the lace and it fold up around the base. I am interested in seeing the new covers that Carl Swanson has produced.

[kreig-kitts]

I have a Swanson cover and it is the best harp cover I’ve used. The ties in front let me get to whatever part of the column I need to hold onto (and it’s different loading versus unloading). It folds up easily when I take it off, instead of sprawling out on the floor, and the padding along the crown, neck, and kneeblock is very good. I can also grab the soundholes easily through the canvas to steady it.

I use a base cozy from Harp Couture so I don’t ding the bottom edge of the base setting it down. For short trips it’s probably all you need, though I like to use a column cover as well, since the car I usually use requires resting it on the column at an angle until the neck is past the gate, when I can put it on its side.

[emma-graham]

I always use the full set. Base, pillar and outer cover. But I move my harps around a LOT. I have Lyon and Healys but always use Salvi covers. They seem sturdier and a bit more padded. They are very good I the rain. They have to be, I’m in the soggy UK! I used to have an LH style 17 which I guess is a similar size to yours. The Salvi semi grand set fit it perfectly. The downsides of them are that they are bulky to store and the dreaded Velcro fastener DESTROYS your tights!

[Gretchen Cover]

I use a full set, too, of Salvi covers. It really protects the harp and is worth the money. I will not move my harp out of the house without its full suit of armor on. It does take storage room for the main harp cover although it can be squashed into a manageable size. You can buy a couple of sail ties to wrap it up. The Salvi base and column covers store easily. However, the base cover is in two pieces so you need to have a doormat or something else under the base if you unload the harp onto a wet or messy surface. I leave two lightweight doormats in my van, both for harp moving and to not mess up the interior during general use.

Harpists on HC have liked the Four Seasons covers so you might want to look at that. I am going to buy one of their half-base covers to prevent dings when I leave my harp on our local church’s stage.

[rachel-fowler]

Thank you for all the thoughts! Good to know about the Four Seasons, Swanson, and Harp Couture brands; I haven’t heard of those yet. Thank you for the “road reviews” – quite helpful!

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