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As harps have become more popular various companies and countries have “jumped on the band wagon”. Some may be small individual makers, others larger but the key point to bear in mind is that without a proven track record there is no way of knowing whether the harp is well made or not.
One clue would be to compare the price differential between an established makers and a harp at comparable size etc. If the “unknown” one is substantially less than the “established” be wary.
In the US a good 26 string fully levered will cost the maker anywhere from $500 US all the way up to $1500 for the best ones, in materials alone.
Biagio
As Charles noted, if the harp has bridge pins you (or a luthier) can add levers when you want them but I’d suggest that may be some time in the future, after you have grown accustomed to good harp technique. That can take a good while, depending on whether you have a harp teacher or not.
Most beginner harp “teach yourself” books and DVDs illustrate technique but relying on that alone requires a lot of diligence on our part. Further, these beginner books usually assume that the harp will be tuned to C major (no levers required). I’ll just mention that some levers cost more than other and some are easier to mount. Rees now sells their own (at $11 US) which are very good (Lovelands sell for about $6 if you buy them directly from the maker).
About cost – while Lovelands cost less than others they also take more time to mount – so harp makers generally charge about $20+ US per lever regardless of what kind it is.
You can see how that adds up in a hurry: if the other materials cost the maker about $250-$500 for a 26 string harp (pretty typical here in the US) a full lever set will add at least $150 to his or her cost not to mention labor. Or roughly half the total manufacturing cost (ignoring stuff like depreciation, labor, overhead, profit margin, etc.).
So let’s table that part of the question for now.
A Sharpsicle or Fullsicle is fine to buy as a first harp, especially if you are not sure how far you want to go with the instrument. If you find you want to really get into it you can keep the ‘sicle” as a travel harp and get a larger one down the road. (Some books/DVDs also assume a lower octave than the Harpsicles but with your music background you should be able to just move everything up and octave easily).
I don’t see much need for all the accessories (strap, case etc.) but you should get an extra string set as well as a chromatic tuner and wrench. I’d also strongly recommend the “improved” string set with wound strings in the bass. That is standard on the Fullsicle or you can ask them to put it on the Sharpsicle.
One other thing would really be helpful: some sort of stable stand while you learn technique. This can be as simple as a board that you sit on and balance the harp, a box or stool up to and including some pretty fancy custom made stands.
One very simple approach is the Harp Stick sold by Rees which clamps through a string access hole and rests on your legs. Another more stable approach is something like LeStik by Blevins. He has retired but the concept is simple: a (yes) stick about 60cm long that clamps though an access hole but instead extends to the floor. Both are easy to make yourself.
In sum, I’d say a) try to find a teacher b) go ahead with the Sharpsicle for now and c) also buy a Harp Stick or LeStik-type device. If you can’t find a teacher the Play the Harp Beautifully instruction books/DVDs by Pamela Bruner are excellent.
Best wishes,
BiagioJumping in late here and I hope everything works out for you. Just a few comments in case it does not….
I think it is great that Muzikkon has contracted with Aine to perform quality control. That has been the most frequent source of frustration with harps made in Pakistan – one does not know if the actual makers were consistent. In any case the “shifting of strings” worries me a little – unless the person who did this also changed many of the others to keep the tension close to what it was intended.
Not to question Aine’s qualification (since I don’t know her) but I must say that being a harp teacher alone is not a guarantee that the teacher actually understands harp design and construction. For instance a good friend and internationally respected performer/teacher I know has no idea of that aspect. Perhaps Aine does, but there are very few excellent teachers/players who are also excellent harp makers.
With respect to Norse harp makers: Sally Sehlin (in Sweden) no longer makes harps but did (and still may) carry Musicmaker kits. This is not uncommon – several fine harp makers got their start that way, first just putting the kit together, then branching out into customizing them or coming up with new designs based on the kits. Anyhow, here is Sally’s website:
Best wishes,
BiagioWilliam makes beautiful harps so it would be a shame to try modifying it, agreed! I do sometimes play my wire harps with the pads and while the tone is muted it still sounds pretty good. So don’t despair for that reason!
Best wishes,
BiagioFour octraves is fairly large for a wire strung – who was the manufacturer? It will help us to answer your questions if we know that. I recall a Cunningham of about that size that I modified with no changes except the the strings and it sounded fine.
It is easier to modify a wire harp to nylon than the other way around, but how it will sound depends a good deal on how the sound board is constructed. In any case the new range would be higher with nylon or gut that the current one, typically by 3-5 steps.
You can generally replace tuning pegs if necessary, although that may require re-boring and tapering the holes. Dusty Strings and Musicmakers both carry threaded pegs which do not use tapered holes. They take a size D bit – 0.246″ so if the existing ones are less than that you’re OK. Other considerations:
Does this harp have bridge pins (most wire harps do not)? Is there enough wood to allow for levers?
Might it be more economical to just buy another (nylon strung) harp?
So, the answer is “Yes you can probably modify it” but take it to a harp maker for specific advice.
We are usually taught to “collapse the thumb to the harper’s fist” but that is not the only way to use the thumb. Another is to simply slide the thumb forward. We usually encounter this in texts or lessons as the “thumb slide” but it can be applied to an individual string as well.
That approach is more common with South American and wire strung harps but you might try it and see it this solves the problem. To see what I mean, watch videos of Cynthia Cathcart (wire harp) or this by Jonathan Fanganello (South American – and an interesting music choice ):
The technique may or may not be difficult depending on your harp, as it requires some force on a concert tension instrument.
Good luck and best wishes,
BiagioPicking up from where Charles left off…very true, the kind of music you intend to play has a bearing on what you might prefer. While any good harp can accommodate many styles, some are more suited to a particular style than to another.
The Dustys are good all around harps (and I agree with Charles about Triplett’s overly bright sound), with medium tension and a smooth change in diameters and feel. Their bass strings are bronze core nylon wrap which delivers a very deep resonant bass; most others are steel core fiber bedded bronze or copper wrap with a “harder” tone.
Makers have a particular intention in mind – the Dusty’s for instance have mahogany in the first 3 1/2 octaves for a bright treble and upper mid, spruce in the lower range for a richer tone. They come “standard” with nylon strings.
Any nylon or fluorocarbon strung harp can also be strung with gut (or vice versa) IF you or some one who understands the physics does an analysis. People often don’t realize this and simply accept that the harp as it is with “standard” strings is the only option.. Ask the maker about this if you love everything else. On one harp I changed the stringing design five times until I got exactly what I wanted.
WRT to Charle’s comment regarding gut vs. nylon absorption: well, heck quibbling is allowed, and how humidity affects tone depends among other things on how you play – with nails or pads – whether or not gut is polished and or varnished and etc. The more relevant question IMHO is whether or not one prefers the tactile sensation and sound of one type over another.
Personally I very much like fluorocarbon, except in the highest registers, for it’s resistance to humidity and finer gradations compared to Tynex…and at that the fishing line variety rather than Savarez Alliance in larger diameters. But I’m getting rather far afield.
The Fisher Eiriann, for example, and the Sligo Harps Luchair are much lighter tension than some others which is preferred by Celtic players for rapid playing and complex ornaments. Both come standard with fluorocarbon strings. On the other hand, the Troubadour is designed for more typically classical music.
Try as many as you can, talk to other players, listen to as many recordings as you can – and not just those on a maker’s website. That will only tell you how it sounds in the hands of one player.
Not to be “cute”, just honest – I don’t know any serious player, professional or amateur, who has only one harp after some experience. Many want a 34 or 36 most of the time and a smaller one for more casual playing or traveling. Others branch out to double strung, wire strung or cross strung. I guess the message here is “buy the best you can afford but it may not be the only one in your lifetime!”
Biagio
One question that would help in answering: where do you live? There are excellent lever harps made in several countries but shipping from one to another can add significantly to the total cost. That said, aside from those already mentioned I’d suggest you look at
-In the US Triplett, Thormahlen, Rees, and Dusty Strings
-In Europe Camac, Salvi and TeifiWe “argue” agreeably about the merits of “concert” tension vs. “folk” tension; gut versus nylon strings; solid wood sound boards vs. high grade laminates; one type of lever vs. another. You can only really decide by trying any particular harps for yourself but there are a few points to bear in mind:
A gut strung concert tension harp will be heavier than folk tension nylon strung since the former must resist the greater stress on board and frame
A harp with laminate board (the Boulding Concert Oranmore is a real favorite around here) will cost less than one with solid wood and react less to changes in environment but will not develop the “color” of a solid wood board over time.
Some levers are easier to regulate than others, some require special tools while others do not; some add more to the cost than others. Camacs Truitts and Teifi are favorites of many while Lovelands are less costly but still a real favorite for durability.
The wood used for the frame will be a factor in terms of weight and to some degree in tone. Cherry is a good “middle ground”; maple (bright tone) and bubinga (rich tone) are quite heavy, black walnut lighter and more mellow. Some countries have restrictions on bubinga if you travel.
Gut will cost more than nylon, is more sensitive to humidity and has less sustain. None of these are drawbacks if you prefer the tone. Most 34 and 36 string harps have a bass C as standard; most can also be strung with a bass A and Rees offers that as an option; for other you would have to have the maker or a professional string maker come up with the specifications.
Getting down to specifics…
Two very favorite harps around here (Puget Sound) are the Dusty FH34 and Thormahlen Ceili; one famous harper plays a Dusty in bubinga for indoor concerts and a Boulding Oranmore for outdoor concerts. Another equally famous harper prefers a Rees. Both are nylon strung.
In any case, I really think that the first step should be to arrange for a teacher and get his or her advice.
Best wishes,
BiagioToo late now, but I agree with Balfour. WD-40 attracts dust – the cure is worse than the “disease”.
Biagio
Wonderful news Sarva, and I am especially happy that there may be a teacher near you! Brian Boru is a nice piece to begin learning; it lends itself to many different accompaniment patterns.
Thank you Wil for recommending the Yahoo! group Virtual Harp Circle. This group was started specifically for new lever harpers, although we now have players of virtually every kind of harp and every level, even a few harp makers.
As an owner and moderator I hope to see you joining us, Sarva! This is a restricted group, meaning that we ask that people who wish to join tell us why; we do this to try to screen out scammers. But don’t worry – I’ll recognize your name:-)
Biagio
I apologize Sarva, if it is any consolation many people think I am female too ha ha. Add my voice to what Wil and Emma have recently posted in some detail about the Harpsicles (OK but not too great to learn on) and Latin American harps and technique (very different).
As an aside: Wil, it does make sense to me, now that I think about it, that American made harps in Europe would be fully levered – probably not worth it to try selling only partially levered Dustys (grin). I should have considered that at first. Buying a kit from Musicmakers would probably not be a great saving either and he would have t put it together and mount any levers, so I did not suggest that.
I don’t know anything about Manfred Goosewinkel’s harps but if Wil has tested them I would take her word that they are OK; she knows what she is talking about. Two things though would give me pause: the sharping devices (“hooks” aka “blades”) and what Wil wrote about the finish.
Blades have been superseded by more advanced levers but are still used sometimes when the objective is just an easy way to set a key in advance. Nothing wrong with that, but they are very hard to flip in the middle of a piece for accidentals. So you mostly find them on modern wire harps where levers could kink the metal strings. I have them on one of my wire harps, for instance.
The finish reinforces the observation that Manfred makes these mostly for his own students. No problem again there – I once knocked out a half dozen double strungs for student rentals at a retreat and did not worry too much about the finish; and later sold them at only a little over construction cost. But it does say to me that they are pretty basic although probably structurally sound.
Best wishes and do let us know how your visit to the Camac dealer turns out!
BiagioThat’s an excellent point Wil, and I must say I was initially astonished at the difference in cost – almost $1000 US. Then I looked again; the harp you referenced is also fully levered where I quoted one with only C F and Bs – the difference is part of that too, about $330 US.
Yep, $700 sounds about right for dealer markup, shipping and VAT; oh well, it was a thought.
I’ll call Ray and Sue at DS anyway (now I’m curious) and contact Marco in Italy if Sarva wishes. I do think however, like you, that she would do well with the Bardic for now.
Oops, just saw your recent post regarding the rental- great suggestion and great doing that research!
Biagio
Sarva, I will call my friends at Dusty Strings on Monday to ask if they have any dealers in Spain; I know that they do have several in Europe. I also have a harp maker friend in Italy and can ask him about a custom 34 if you wish.
Um…Alison, I am not a “tiny child” but my main harps these days are a nylon 26 and a wire 26; and I am almost 70 with a good deal of harp making as well as playing under my belt. I do take your point – that most people would opt for larger instruments – but not everyone.
As a matter of fact I do miss a having the larger ones sometimes though. There was one point where I had a 36, a Clark (31 strings) that 34 all of which I designed myself (except the Clark of course) and really loved, not to mention several doubles. A bit excessive, and eventually it became time to weed the garden:-)
Biagio
Sarva, I posted another comment that seems to have disappeared; there was a fair amount of “stuff” in it which can safely be ignored but I would like to pass on one thought regarding teachers. To whit: if the time difference would work for you, Laurie Riley teaches via Skype; she also plays by ear and is fluent in Spanish as well. Here is her website:
She is recognized as an excellent teacher and international performer and her fees are very reasonable. An accomplished musician, Laurie teaches not only harp (single, double and wire) but plays guitar, banjo, dulcimer and bodhran. Also very gracious – I suggest that you write to her regarding your interest, I am sure that she will be happy to give you her thoughts whether you decide to study with her via Skype or not. It is an 8 hour time difference – Laurie lives on the US West Coast.
If, however, you are tending toward a 34 instead, you might see if the Dusty Strings Ravenna 34 is available where you live. It is an excellent and very popular “first harp” reasonably priced: 1485 euros at current exchange rates.
Evolene, I hope I did not seem dogmatic re: Celtic traditions, just pointing out that there are different interpretations. I mentioned Aiofe O Dowb; here is her interpretation of Port na Bpucai and I think everyone would agree that it is just gorgeous.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM8wZEK2cWM
I do also agree that 1-5-8 is one of the most used patterns, and as a baritone I do love those bass strings! In fact, I dropped my own 34 two steps to get that low A. However, I really do not want to discourage Sarva from the Bardic if that is what she can afford – it really is a nice harp. Much better in my opinion to get that then buy a poorly made but larger instrument!
Happy harping,
BiagioPerhaps that is indeed Evolene’s meaning, Wil, you would have to ask her. My point however, is to dispell the notion I often hear that a small harp is limiting and I do so from my own experience. My first floor harp was a 34 string and I studied with modified Salzado classical technique. Only after some 10 years did I graduate to the wire strung harp.
That was an eye opener! I had to learn, for example, that one could play very complex arrangements by interweaving the fingers ( what Ann Heymann calls “Coupled Hands”), the use of ornaments such as runs, grace notes, etc., the importance of finger damping which is often ignored in beginner books but greatly enhances effects on any type of harp. And so on.
So you are right that a smaller harp can play music scored for larger harps, and do so simply enough. Let’s bear in mind however that for now at least Sarva will play by ear, so the question of arrangements is less relevant than the music itself. Let me give an example:
One beautiful “Celtic” piece is Port na Bpucai (“song of the ghosts”), originally composed on fiddle as far as we know. Aioffe ni Dowd plays a beautiful arrangement by Janet Harbison with all the arpeggios you might expect on a floor harp and indeed you would find it hard to replicate that on a smaller instrument. On the other hand, listen to Tony MacMahon or Evertjan t’ Hart on accordion and Irish pipes, respectively. Those are much closer to the original and could be played on a 3 1/2 octave harp.
Here is Tony – I especially like his commentary on the spirit of Irish music.
Biagio
