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That’s true Wil. Companies that make the same model over and over mark the lever placement in the process of making sawdust. But for a kit or even more so built from plans it is better to wait.
Honestly, I’ve never understood why beginners sometimes insist on a full set of levers, considering how much they cost: about 20% of total materials expense for a 36.
To me a more rational approach would be – master technique first and use the saved cost for lessons and music. Then spend more money on the harp(grin).
I’d bet the Dad knows that and will get to it some day. If he can build a nice harp from blueprints, mounting levers will be no problem.
Yep, that’s a Musicmakers Regency built from the blueprints, soundboard and hardware which they offer for a little over $500 complete. Levers from MM would add another $540 and I’d estimate that the frame wood at $200 from a fine lumber dealer. So…let’s say $1250 plus some father-daughter fun and a learning experience. Not bad!
This design has been modified for lighter weight and is now called the Cheyenne; the kit sells for $2000 which includes everything pre-cut except levers.
As I’ve posted earlier and elsewhere, one could substitute a pre-made spruce sound board and Truitt or Camace levers for another $800 or so and voila! – a concert grade lever harp for about $2500 – $3500 depending on whether you buy just the plans etc. or the full fit. The first means access to a good work shop; from the kit, easy peasie.
Also not bad!
Biagio
I don’t know the Brilliant! specifically but it seems in principal much like the Ravenna 34, and the discontinued Caswell Sweetharp and Musicmakers Studio. These harps have a Baltic birch body, Finnish birch (aircraft grade ply) soundboard and either a solid wood or built-up ply neck and pillar. Box construction differs but they are/were all good, solid, light weight harps.
Substitute a solid wood body and you get the Dusty Crescendo or Musicmakers Voyageur, substitute as well a solid wood SB and possibly higher tension and you get into concert grade lever harps. As far as I can tell the chief acoustic difference between the Ravenna 34 and Brilliant! is the pickup included with the latter.
Biagio
All good suggestions, here’s another: Cynthia Shelhart’s “Tunes to Go – 400 Tunes in Lead Sheet Format”. I’ve not counted the number of Christmas tunes but there must be well over a dozen out of the 400 popular tunes.
Lead sheet format is nice – depending on your ability and venue you can arrange to suit and this also makes it easy to change the key if you don’t want to use what Cynthia indicates.
Just a few more remarks for what they are worth:
-I really would not suggest using nails on gut, which is relatively soft compared to nylon…using the nails will result in much shorter string life!
-Wil’s suggestion is a very good one; some people have found that adding flax seeds to their diet will strengthen their nails.
-WRT to technique: the admonition to “close the fingers all the way in to the palm” is commonly made and it is a good one for strength and volume – on a nylon or gut harp. On wire one just brushes the string; the former technique would make a very harsh sound and likely break a wire string. But if you are playing just for yourself, no reason not to use the wire method.
-If this interests you Cynthia Cathcart has several beginner level videos on Youtube, so take a look at those before abandoning your dream. Here’s the first of her series:
Biagio
“I don’t wear them very long by a non-harpers standard, 3 – 5mm over the finger tip, but realise that’s much too long for harp”…
Not really, although it’s true that many instructions just assume shorter nails which may have given you that impression. I play both wire and nylon harps with no problem and my nails are about that long. From Cynthia Cathcart’s book Pathways: “between two and five millimeters is a rough guide for most player’s fingernails.”
Cynthia is of course discussing the wire strung but as noted above there are excellent nylon strung players who use their nails.
I’ve been assuming you’re looking at wire strung harps but let’s get back to the basic question ignoring the nail length issue: are you ready to buy a harp or at least give the harp a try?
If so and renting one is not an option, I’d suggest something like the Flatsicle (be sure to order it with the bass string upgrade) or if you can spend a little more a Dusty Ravenna 26. There is a ready second market for both.
Understand that it will take some time just adjusting your hands to harp technique and that will go more easily with a teacher.
Best wishes,
BiagioThere are a number of fine wire strung harp makers in Europe the most frequently mentioned being Ardival, in the UK:
http://www.ardival.com/You would also do well to thoroughly explore the Wire Strung Harp resource, here:
https://www.wirestrungharp.com/Ardival makes their wire harps in the traditional way, with a hollowed out block for the box and narrow string spacing (about 11mm) for which nails are virtually a requirement to play at all! Some current and former harp makers in the US make/made their harps with somewhat wider spacing (James Keen, Steve Triplett, Chris Caswell). Used wire harps turn up on the market from time to time.
Strictly speaking: yes, traditional wire harp technique is very different from gut/nylon. But plenty of people who play just for fun do not get so dedicated tradition and in point of fact, some well known nylon players use their nails instead of their finger pads. So don’t let that stop you. Personally I have two that I made, one with narrow spacing and the other with wider; since I just play for fun the nails thing is not an issue for me.
Bear in mind that the clarsach has a very long sustain so chords are not complex but damping technique is important and the clarsachs are typically rather small: 19-26 strings.
Here’s one thought before you spend a bundle on an expensive purpose-built wire harp like an Ardival Kilcoy: look instead for a small tightly strung nylon harp to explore playing.
Here’s another: some small nylon harps like the Musicmakers Limerick can be re-strung with brass – if you find one that looks interesting, ask an experienced harp maker to analyze it for conversion.
Best wishes and enjoy the harp adventure!
BiagioIt may seem surprising to us, but for many people still today, seeing a harp up close and personal is a new experience. Especially if they have only seen one tucked to the side in an orchestra; or the clarsach on the Guiness bottle haha.
They’re curious, most of the time. If it were a guitar or violin, I’d bet we would not get that question. A double like yours, Evolene, is even more novel. I recall the reaction on the Harplist when I made my first double 10 years ago: “Wow, you must be a very experienced player.” Heck no!
If time permits then I’m happy to talk about the instrument I love. My stock answer might be “A good harp might cost anything from $500 for a very small one, if you make it yourself, up to the price of an SUV. You know, it is the most ancient of all stringed instruments and some today are still made the same way as those 400 years ago.
Just for the sake of discussion, how much would you be willing to spend?”
I suppose it depends on the harp and the venue;as some have suggested, asking that of an expensive harp during a concert might be considered rude. On the other hand, and especially in a less formal setting, the person might be genuinely interested. In the latter case I see it as an opening to encourage another harpist.
So I usually start with another question: “It depends on a lot of things; are you interested in learning to play?” If the answer is “No, just curious” it is easy to politely decline to answer. If “Yes” or “Maybe” – now that’s an opportunity!
Balfour my friend, I could not agree more. All of their kits that I’ve reviewed are outstanding, Matt Jake and indeed the entire staff always helpful and with perhaps the best warranty around. May they have many more years of success!
Biagio
Hi Balfour,
Jason seems to have made some changes in direction since he took over from Jerry and I’m not up to date some of them: He/they did finally eliminate the dip in tension at the Voyageur lower mid; no longer market the Limerick; employ lighter frames; and seem to be pushing more in the direction of finished harps over kits.
As you know they no longer offer the Gothic, not even the 31 string version. That’s a pity to me; that harp had the longest vibrating lengths of all but a very few on the market.
I keep looking for them to offer a solid spruce SB as an option some day and at least one harp has been offered with Camac levers.
Interesting times!
BiagioYeah and sorry to hear about you back pain Brook. Me too for a while…rest gentle stretching fixed it for me.
As you say, harpsicles fill a niche that was lacking and to some extent still is: a low priced reasonably good entry level lever harp. Caswell tried to fill that too with his Sweetharp and Musicmakers with the Smartwood too. You just run into hard physical limitations with anything over 4+/- octaves.
A good inexpensive double of of that size would be great but most still seem to be leery of making one or buying one for that matter. I made several (priced around $500)and they sounded great but it took a long time to sell them!
Hi Balfour,
The Cheyenne is the former Regency; I don’t think that there have been any significant changes – at least none I can see. The base is lighter than the old Regency and they may have made another change at the NPJ (and that was one heavy harp). The string design seems to be the same for both.
I agree, a very nice harp.
Best wishes,
BiagioYou are very welcome! I should have also said: study the instructions BEFORE ordering to be sure that you have the necessary tools and that they are clearly written. I know that the MM instructions are very detailed; it has been a long time since I looked at Cambria and Stoney End.
Incidentally, the Voyageur can also be strung A-e rather than C-g if you want a lower bass; write to me for the specs if you decide to do that.
Happy harping,
Biagio
