Which sound do you prefer?

[Denver CH]

The two harps I’m considering to choose from have different sound natures.

[kathy-chanik]

Is this a trick question? If not, then I select ALL of them for my ideal harp. I don’t see why a harp can’t be brightly warm, or warmly bright at the same time, Bright doesn’t have to mean brittle.

[Denver CH]

Thanks you, Kathy.

[Sam Karlinski]

I agree! Pick them all! BUT I think that warm and bright probably cannot coexist. If that’s the case, you need to take into consideration your own tone. If you personally play very warmly, you can accentuate (perhaps too much) that trait by playing a warm sounding harp. You can do the same if you have a bright tone on a bright harp. I think that personally I sound best on a harp that’s on the brighter side. I have a warm tone, but I like the balance between tone clarity and warmth I get on a slightly brighter harp. So to get the sound I want, I have to take into consideration my playing as well. For someone else to achieve the same sound, he may require a different harp than I require. Does that make sense? I don’t know if that was helpful or not.

~Sam

[kathy-chanik]

Trying to describe a harp’s sound with words is so very difficult. That said, I have tried a few Chicagos and found them rather thin and tight-sounding. 85s have been around a lot longer, I tried an 85P once that was outstanding. But you really have to try them side by side to know which YOU prefer. You could line up 6 Chicagos and they would sound quite different from each other, same with 85s. Until you hear these harps for yourself you won’t know for sure what you like, and all our descriptions will mean nothing. And the one you end up liking may not be the one you expected.

[Denver CH]

Thank you, I agree. I’ll try to find an opportunity to play them side by side and see which one I like, but for now it’s alsmost impossible, as we live some 800 miles away from the harp center.

[Denver CH]

That’s very helpful, Sam. That’s a new idea for me.

[Denver CH]

Besides, I guess the eyelets may partly contribute to the difference in the tone of Chicago series and Style 85 series, i.e. warm versus bright. According to the photos I saw, the Chicago harps may use plastic eyelets, while the Style 85 harps may use metal eyelets.

[Maria Myers]

Sam,

Could you elaborate on this statement: << I have a warm
tone>>.

[jessica-wolff]

I used to go for bright and am beginning to change my mind on that score. I think I like pure, if we’re talking about the same thing.

[Denver CH]

There are several recording samples

[Denver CH]

And there are several other samples for some other harps:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4yAZSYRfhc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs14tfTah24

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXTcNEiXFyo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRkYPmiL9RA

[tony-morosco]

The problem for me with this question is that the tone I prefer varies depending on the music I am playing. There is no one ideal tone for me. Only an ideal tone for the music I am playing at the moment.

[Sam Karlinski]

Maria,

A player’s tone quality can be affected by technique, articulation, and physical variations. Closing well helps (technique) as well as really pulling the string before releasing (articulation). I also have very wide, fleshy fingers, which helps tremendously. Most women don’t seem to have fingers wide or fleshy enough to get a fantastically warm, lush sound naturally. In order to achieve the same sound, they might have to concentrate on the technical aspects a bit more, but this does not mean that their sound will not be wonderful!

~Sam

[jessica-wolff]

I vote for the Chicago 40. FWIW I like its looks better too.

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