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Update on the MM Voyageur strings: Matt had told me that they’d revised the regime in the light of some suggestions I’d made so I just took a look at them. They eliminated a sharp dip in tension which I and a few others did not like so that’s that as far as any criticism from my end.
For what it’s worth, I went a bit further than their revision: making the (bass) lower strings bronze core fiber bed nylon wrap and substituting fluorocarbon for several nylon/nylon higher up. But that is more personal preference than anything else – and “my” version would be more expensive too. I like their solution.
Biagio
Hi Elspeth,
Full disclosure, the MM folks are friends, as are the folks at Dusty Strings and a few other harp makers but I am not associated with them otherwise.
I think going with a 33 or 34 is a wise choice, so a big “whew” here! As to the specific model:
Whether a kit will be good for you or not depends on how comfortable you are with putting it together, so before deciding to order one, download and read the instructions. I’ve noticed that after Jerry Brown (the owner) retired last year those instructions have been revamped; I guess Matt thought the illustrations were clearer but IMO they also look more complicated than necessary. Personally, the Musicmaker Voyageur was my second lever harp and I put it together in about 5 days in my living room. But you will have to judge4 that for yourself.
I understand that they have revised the string regime for the Voyageur after several discussions but I have not analyzed the new one. I don’t much like the Universal levers myself, but if you are considering mounting levers yourself they are OK and easier to do than Lovelands. Easiest of all are the Rees and Truitt levers – Rees’ are available through Robinson’s Harp Shop. The general principle for all levers are the same, so one should understand those first.
As a side note, you will probably be playing in the key of C major at first so you won’t really need levers for a while. Get comfortable with the harp and then consider how many you need – for Celtic style only Cs and Fs. I am biased in believing that all harpers should know how to mount and regulate levers but I seem to be in a distinct minority; I do however strongly recommend that they buy two books:
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The Harper’s Manua
l by Laurie Riley, and
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Troubleshooting Your Lever Harp
by David Kolacny. These cover topics that turn up again and again from new harpers on harp forums.
Moving along….some people choose the Dusty Cresendo over the Ravenna because they like to look of it but personally I don’t think that justifies the higher price. Given that expense is a major concern therefore I would choose the Ravenna. It is in many people’s opinion around here – the Seattle area – the best harp available for the money.
Wil has covered the Camacs so I won’t comment further aside from agreeing that they are excellent.
Good luck and best wishes,
BiagioAs Wil points out, most books and scores (whether Celtic or not) assume a 4-5 octave range with the lowest being a C2 (65.41 Hz). If you are comfortable with reading music, and music theory, adapting the score to a smaller harp will not be a big problem -but of course some of the left hand patterns may not be possible.
At the size you are contemplating I don’t think you will notice much difference between cherry and walnut; the latter in principle should have a more mellow voice but the strings and sound board play a much larger role. With the Stoney End, however the wood type will make no difference at all – the side are simply high density plywood, it does not matter what color the are stained.
Frankly, if I were in your place I would instead order the Musicmaker Jolie kit which will cost less to ship, and suit your needs better than either of the others. Assuming you are OK with a little sanding, gluing, and finishing, of course. If that appears to be an option, we can discuss levers as well.
https://www.harpkit.com/jolie-harps.html
Biagio
Wil makes a good point. Have you considered harp makers in Australia? Here is a list:
Biagio
Hi Elspeth,
All good harps, including the County Kerry. You will notice, as you examine the descriptions carefully, that they also vary a good bit in terms of size, construction design, weight, range, type of levers, and so on. Here are some things to consider, as the choice is quite personal:
-How you will support the harp. If this is your first harp learning good technique is a challenge while also trying to balance it on your lap. Some use “leg bones”, or a guitar strap; the Blevins “LeStik” is probaby the most stable. Dwwight Blevins is no longer making harps but LeStik is still available through his wife (see cindyblevinsmusic.com)
-What kind of music you will play. If mainly Celtic, you will only need levers on C and F most of the time. Otherwise you may wish a full set.
-What kind of levers. We all have our favorites but in terms of expense they run from least to most: Loveland, Rees, Camac, Truitt.
Just to throw another name in the mix: my personal favorite lap harp is the Harps of Lorien Raphael:
http://www.harpsoflorien.com/therapy_economy_harps.html
Best wishes,
Biagio(I assume you take it out to avoid undue heat on the harp or strings. ….
Depends on the hair dryer and how careful you are. I just cut a slit in a hot pot pad to slip the cam through. The tape will shrink within 10-15 seconds – hardly long enough to do any damage.
My preference is for heat-shrink tubing, over paint or tiny o-rings: not only easier to see but easier to grasp. You can buy red and black heat-shrink tubing in most hardware or auto supply stores. Use a hair dryer for the heat – and no, it won’t hurt the strings. If that is a worry though just shield them with a pot holder.
Biagio
What follows is probably overkill, ha ha, but it works: I got frustrated with those anchors slipping around so have begun to add a leather pad to all the strings, not just the wound ones. One can buy them for a few pennies or (my way) just make them out of a second hand leather belt.
Biagio
As Charles mentioned, calculating the correct gauges is not difficult if you have an analysis program. An Excel spreadsheet can be downloaded for free from Musicmakers: https://www.harpkit.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=SRCH
Lever gut and their gauges can be ordered from Vanderbilt or Morley.
This harp is designed for “Celtic” playing and tension; although you do have extra gut, many who choose this style prefer nylon for it’s brighter ring and somewhat longer sustain.
Getting the correct parameters for the wound strings is trickier, since there are potentially many variations for the core, bedding, and windings. You might wish to order those directly from Pilgrim even if doing the analysis interests you.
Biagio
David, I applaud your research effort – may I suggest widening it beyond looking at different models and prices? Probably you are doing that – for example talking to the people at the Virginia Harp Center – so let me suggest a few additional resources:
Plan on attending at least one harp conference, if only for a day. For instance two coming up this year are the Harp Gathering Festival in Ohio (May17-20) and the Somerset Folk Harp Festival in New Jersey (July 19-22). See also
http://www.folkharpsociety.org/pages/upcomingconferences.htmlDrop by any nearby harp circles – most will be welcoming and happy to discuss their harps with you (and anything else) after the meeting. Contact the local chapters of the AHS and ISFHC for those in your area: https://www.harpsociety.org/Chapters/Chapters-By-State.asp
http://www.folkharpsociety.org/pages/chapters.htmlInvest in two short books that I consider essential for any lever harper: The Harper’s Manual by Laurie Riley, and Trouble Shooting Your Lever Harp by David Kolacny. These cover topics that come up again and again on harp forums, but are usually not covered by any “how to” or “teach yourself”. resources.
Check out and/or join other harp forums: the Virtual Harp Circle, The Harp List, the Dusty Strings Forum and Blog. The VHC in particular has in the Files a description of various levers and, shortly, a discussion of strings (I’m still writing that one, LOL).
Really study what well-known harp makers have to say about the instrument (and not just their own models). I’ve already mentioned Sligo Harps, some others with helpful insights are Rees, Thormahlen, Dusty, and Blevins.
Best wishes,
BiagioThank you Balfour my friend:-)
Ha ha, you could try out my little 19 wire strung – talk about limiting! What I’ve learned though is that with small harps you have to learn a whole new range of techniques vis a vis a pedal or large lever harp.
The more I learn the less I know:-)
Best to all,
BiagioTeifi has an excellent reputation. Aside from the specific levers, you may have noticed that lower priced harps such as the Siff Saff, Ravenna, Oladion, etc. have Finnish ply boards (sometimes called birch ply, technically aircraft grade laminate), whereas higher cost ones use spruce or some other solid soft wood.
Some actually prefer the ply over solid wood, especially if they want a good quality harp to be played in different climates. In fact, that’s why Harper bought his Oladion – he uses a Dusty FH36 for indoor concerts, the Oladion for outdoors.I fear, David, that my enthusiasm over harp models I breezed past the most important advice, which Tacye gave you. To wit: First find a teacher, THEN a harp with your teacher’s guidance. You might try contacting the American Harp Society Philadelphia chapter
https://www.harpsociety.org/Chapters/Chapter.asp?Chapter=15
and/or the International Society of Folk Harpers and Craftsmen
https://www.harpsociety.org/Chapters/Chapters-By-State.asp
BTW I was not suggesting that you buy a kit, although that is a possibility for some. Also: some (indeed many) 34-36 string models can be strung two steps lower, Some makers offer this string alternative, with others the strings can be custom made.
Thank you for the vote of confidence Wil!
One way of judging a lower priced harp is to consider the professionals who choose it, either for outdoor gigging or/and as a student rental. I’ve not heard of any pro who has chosen a Mikel (though that is of course possible). As to the others that have been mentioned, just a few whom I know:
The Ravennas – Ray Pool, Mark Harmer
The Oladion – Harper Tasche, Phil Boulding (also the maker)
The Musicmakers – Sunita Stanislaw, Joanna MellThis is not to say that there are not other good harps out there (the R-Harp Merlin springs to mind); more to suggest that you can expect a decent 34-36 string harp to cost somewhere between $2,000 and $3,500 depending on size, number of levers, if a case is included, etc.
Happy harping,
Biagio
