What’s your favorite-looking harp?

[Victor Ortega]

Some recent posts on this site made me wonder… what harp do you think is the best-looking harp?

[catherine-rogers]

I love that one, too. I think it’s just as pretty as the Lyon & Healy 23 in natural maple.

But I think the prettiest harp I ever saw was a Lyon & Healy style 3 which Dale Barco rebuilt for Jack Nebergall. He refinished it in gold (it was originally gilded) and glossy cobalt blue. If memory serves, the board was also blue with gold decoration. Dale showed me photos of it at the harp conference in 1984, I think. Wow, was it gorgeous.

At the Denver conference in 1988 Lyon and Healy had a 23 finished in matte ebony and white gold (which looked silver). It had a fabulous tone and cost extra because it was one of a kind. I’ve always wondered who bought it and where it is now. It was so beautiful.

[Briggsie B. Peawiggle]

That’s a beautiful harp, Victor. My favorite-looking harp is the Camac Oriane in gold. That is a lovely-looking instrument. I also think that the L&H Petite Ex is a pretty little harp. Too tiny for me, but I think they are just cute. And though I’d never want to own one, I like looking at the Camac Big Blue.

June

[tony-morosco]

I don’t care for overly ornate, carved, or gold harps.

The only exception is the Salzedo which, to me, is about as ornate as I would consider. It is probably the only harp with a decorated sound board I would consider.

I am most fond of the Camac Atlantide in Cherry finish. Beautiful in it’s simplicity.

[jennifer-buehler]

I’m not a big fan of the 23 but there’s a picture of a restored 23 on Howard Bryan’s website the has blue contrast paint that really makes the gold stand out.

[David Ice]

Hi Catherine,

I remember well Jack Nebergall’s “Blue”.

[leonard-lim]

My favourite looking harp is also Camac’s Atlantide prestige in cherry.

[alexander-rider]

David- You should start a thread about your memories of Jack! : ) I personally like Horngacher ‘Philharmonie harp’ and I also like the straight soundboard harps of Obermayer and Lyon and Healy made in the 1900’s-1920’s…Pity I don’t like the sound of German harps….But I had lessons on a straight soundboard LH (c.1904) for four years. What a sound. I love the LH Salzedo and would like to own one….My favourites however are the French Erard Gothic harps. Not so much the decoration as the wonderful, graceful proportions of the instruments. The sound of these harps is warm, woody and projects well. Pity they don’t regulate so nicely. If you want to hear a good Erard harp, listen to Maria Callas’ famous recording of Visse d’arte from Tosca. Lovely.

[brook-boddie]

I think the Salvi Minerva is an incredibly

[Jerusha Amado]

Dave,

I know that this is off topic, but did anyone ever record Jack playing any of his jazz/pop arrangements?

[patricia-jaeger]

I have a cassette recording of Jack, called ”Ain’t Misbehavin’ “, on which he plays

[jennifer-buehler]

I like the way the artwork on Heartland Harps twine around the harp too.

[unknown-user]

I really love the Gothic styles especially the Bosch and the Nurnberger – I regularly go to the Thurau and Eric Early Harps websites to drool.

Folk harps: the 36 string Dusty Strings model is very graceful and appealing to me. I love the way the neck is tapered. Walnut is my preferred wood, the Bubinga is beautiful in pictures but I do not care for how it feels.

Pedal Harp: Salvi Minerva has been at the top of my list for a long time.

[unknown-user]

Rereading my post I realized I forgot to mention that I really love the look of the L&H Style 11, I am not so sure about it in lavender but natural or gold/wood contrast would be beautiful.

[Pat Eisenberger]

I like the Salvi Minerva harp. I like the finish that you see on the Salvi web page (which I think might be rosewood), but I have this notion that if I were rich, I’d have one with black lacquer and white gold. I’ve never seen a harp with anything other than yellow gold. I’d also have any painting on the soundboard done in just black. and somehow any brass parts would be made silver somehow.

It could either be a showpiece or a travesty!

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