World beater lever harps!

[unknown-user]

Okay, okay, I pinched this idea from Audrey who mentioned on another thread about lever harpers…to a poster that was carrying on about best harps ever in his (not so humble) opinion…

So, I decided to throw it open to those that are lever harpers, to let us all know what you play and what the qualities you like about your lever harp. This has sort of been covered elsewhere, but there are sure to be new harpers online, and new harp purchases for us to all drool over with delight!

I have always loved the Pilgrim harps. I love the look of the Clarsach and the Ashdown, but had a student once with Progress (lever) with concert stringing that rang like a bell! A gorgeous and sweet sounding harp, with really lovely fine grained wood in it.

[Evangeline Williams]

I’ve got a few lever harps….in the lap harp size there’s the R Harp lap harp (which has played in NYC subways and at Lollapalooza, never broken a string (knock on wood), and the ‘sunflower harp’, which was made for me (the plans are the limerick harp from musikits).

[unknown-user]

Whoa,

[Jerusha Amado]

Hi Ro!

I love my Dusty Strings 36S.

[unknown-user]

Hi Jerusha!

Yes, everyone speaks so well of Dustys. I have never seen one…

What sort of music do you play on it with your flutist? Classical or contemporary? And do you think they have a kind of celtic quality, or are they a different beast again from the Irishy harps? They seem rather large and to have very interesting and particular dimensions….

Hope you are well and playing up a storm (but taking lots of breaks!)

Ro.

[Anna MacArthur]

Gosh, who doesn’t love to talk about their harps.

[unknown-user]

I have two

[Briggsie B. Peawiggle]

Hi Wurls,

Good idea for a thread. Though I’m basically a pedal harpist, I also have the old Troubie and hang out with lever harpists too when the opportunity presents itself. (I admire the fact that they can flip levers — I’m not so adept at that.) I played a Dusty 36 just 2 weeks ago. It had a beautiful sound and a nice feel. It was easy to play — set under the fingers nicely and had a really nice blend between nylons and wires. They use some kind of composite sort of stuff for the strings where they blend (I’m not using the right terminology…but I just don’t know about these things.) However, on the Troubadour there is an abrupt change in timbre from the guts or nylons (mine is gut strung) to the wires, and on the Dusty there was not. However, there is a completely diferent feel to it — it’s much lighter strung than mine, and it sounds more Celtic/Folk than mine. The Troub sounded a lot like a pedal harp in comparison to these folk harps. But then, when I compare it to my pedal harp it does not. It sounds like a Celtic harp…..hard to explain. I like my Troubie better than a Dusty

[harpglo-jean]

Hi Curls,

I also have a Dusty 36S in Walnut (tone is a bit mellower) and I concur completely with what Jerusha says….

My teacher plays one in Wenge wood and the tone, to me, seems much brighter, but still very beautiful…Dustys have such an even tone throughout…I also have a Dusty Ravenna 26, and for a small harp with a laminated soundboard, the sound is still very full..I enjoy playing early music and celtic music on my harps, which sounds wonderful….Triplett is also a very lovely sounding harp, as well as the L&H Ogden, which I already mentioned on your other thread..

Gloria

[sherry-lenox]

OT- Quercetin+vitamin C? Probiotics and a cup of plain non-fat yoghurt every day?

[Briggsie B. Peawiggle]

OT:

[unknown-user]

Curl,I’m not a lvr harpist but I own a Timothy Habinski(Canada)40 strings Storm King that is amazing.Some of my students bought from different hp makers and I can say TH hp is my cup of tea,gorgeous in tone,very good looking as well.Moreover,Timothy made a taller hp ’cause I’m very tall.He is a very nice guy to deal

[Jerusha Amado]

Helio,

What kind of tension does the strings of the Storm King have?

[Jerusha Amado]

Hi Ro!

[unknown-user]

Jerusha;it’s a medium-high tension,concerning

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