Transporting harp on column

[singingharpist@gmail.com]

I have always loaded my harp in my van on its side. But I have heard that the column is very strong and you can load it on its column. I’d like to figure out a way to keep one seat in my Chevy Venture van and load the harp in vertically next to it. Not on a regular basis, but just when I need an extra seat in there. Any suggestions? Thanks.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

I don’t recomment it. It doesn’t protect the neck, which is the vulnerable part of the harp. One time I moved my harp that way, and I had a terrible time tuning it after. I believe the bouncing and jiggling causes the neck to torque. I would only do it if the harp was fully braced or in a case or frame. If you can brace it securely with padding to the side of the van, that is okay. And the cover is not enough padding by itself.

[kristie-smith]

Hi! I see that this is about a month old, but just in case you’re still looking for answers… I have a Chevy Venture and have been loading harps in it on the column since 2002. It is really easy to load two harps into the van at once–one on either side of the middle seat. Just make sure you put some padding (I use old couch pillows) between the harp and the seat and between the harp and the side of the van, up near the neck.

One thing to be mindful of in the Venture specifically–once you remove the extra seats, there will be plastic on the floor of the van where the seats were attached. Be sure not to run the crown up onto this plastic piece, as it can crack the crown, even through the harp covers. (I know this from experience.) I put a thick blanket down to protect the crown on the way in.

This way of loading the harp is, imho, much safer and easier than loading the harp on its side. Once I’ve loaded the harp in that way, it doesn’t move at all–the middle seat holds the harp securely in place. I have taken one or both of my harps cross-country five times this way, and it has always worked great 🙂 Just picture my van packed with 2 harps, 2 cats, a dog, me and my husband, and whatever stuff I needed for the week until the moving van caught up with me! It was pretty jam packed.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

How secure is a column-loaded harp? Does it never wobble from side to side? Does the neck not vibrate with the road? Lyon & Healy always recommended (in the past), to lay the harp on a well-padded surface, it should be completely level and the neck completely supported, because that is the most vulnerable part of the harp. It is easy to load if you bring the harp up to the back of the car, then set it down, sit down in the back of the car, and lower the harp to your lap, then slide out from under it and lower it gently the remaining distance, then you can get up and slide it in the rest of the way. You can only move one harp at a time, usually, but it is the safest way, without building a special carrier.
Are people doing column loading putting padding under the column? Carpets are not enough. If you need to replace your neck, it may not show up for twenty years, but its not a repair you want to make unnecessarily. The deluxed covers with some padding are not sufficient, either. I like a thick mattress, though it requires at least full size to be wide enough, or a thick foam pad with a vinyl cover. A couple of layers of gym mats might be good, but I don’t think they are probably soft enough. Treat your harp like a baby.

[Tacye]

I don’t think I will treat my harp like a baby – it doesn’t like milk.

On a more productive note have you ever seen the harp manufacturers turn up at a festival? The vans aren’t nearly large enough to bring all the harps lying flat. One, at least, transports the harps standing upright (and strapped/barred in, obviously). The harp shipping crates I have used were clearly designed to lie most ways up including along the column.

Also, whichever way up your harp is, do strap it in place. You don’t want it bouncing, nor do you want someone rear ending your vehicle and the harp being pushed forward into you.

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