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(Cough cough) Janis, I tend to by cynical about any “new” harp that sells for less than the cost of it’s materials. A good fully levered 34 string will cost the maker over $1000 US just for wood strings and hardware, no matter where in the world it is made. Those are retail costs of course, a large manufacturer will save a bit but it will be eaten up by overhead. Here’s one example – my “go-to” 34. I estimate the materials for that as:
Soundbox $250
Neck and pillar $500
Sound board $250
Strings $250
Hardware & misc $150
Levers $550
Total $1950Naturally that is a custom harp for myself so I went for the best I could within my budget and did not charge myself for labor(grin). But no way could I have made it for less than $1000 nor would it sound as satisfying.
Biagio
A couple of other thoughts on this…..
That rattle and up at the neck is probably due to a loose washer since the thing is probably bolted to the body. In order to repair that you would have to slack off all the strings and reach up with a socket wrench, if so; and possibly remove the entire neck/pillar assembly.
I agree with Janet – better to wait or at least spring for a trip to look at better harps from established makers. Without knowing your budget it is difficult to suggest a specific model but for reference the Ravenna 34 that Iris mentioned is the lowest price of any quality 33-36 string out there. They go up from there e.g. the R-Harp Merlin, Dusty Crescendo or FH34 etc. One rather nice but still “budget” harp would be the Music Maker Voyageur – finished or as a kit. Top of the line harps will sell for $3500 or more.
I tell people that buying a harp for the first time is a lot like buying a car: it is a major investment if you intend to keep it or a lot of expensive maintenance if you buy a lemon. It’s not necessary to buy a Maserati if a decent Honda will do – but stay away from used clunkers.
Biagio
Biagio
Here’s one way to look at it. The major scales all follow the same pattern of steps, where W means a half step and H a half step: W-W-H-W-W-W-H-W. C major is the easiest to visualize (no sharps or flats) – note that from E to F and B to C is a half step, the rest are whole steps.
Now let’s say that you are not playing with anyone else, are tuned to C, and encounter a tune that requires sharps – no problem, just sharp the appropriate strings. But what about a tune with a flat or flats?
Well, hey, just go in the other direction: sharp ALL the notes EXCEPT the flats. You have just moved everything up a half step except those “flats”! Try it and see for yourself. Of course you can take the same approach however you are open tuned, but you have to work it out for whatever that is.
Spoiler warning: if you are playing with others do not do this as you will be out of tune with everyone else. But on your own, and if you don’t feel like re-tuning or transposing, this will do it. Which is why I usually have my harps in C (grin).
Yeah, I know – lazy!
Biagio
I would be very wary of buying a used harp if the seller does not know the maker, and even more so if it has any structural defects (as this one does). Those are two big red flags, even if you are an experienced harp maker (which I am). The fact that it has a problem but is new would immediately tell me “uh uh.” And NEVER buy an unknown harp just because of how it looks
I would bet though that it is a Saffron 34 by Mikel of Pakistan. That is a new entrant to the harp market and there have been mixed reviews. Better to buy a used instrument from an experienced player with a harp from an established maker. Sometimes they turn up on Craigslist but sometimes real duds to too-)
Actually I just heard yesterday of a very nice onein your area. The seller is a professional player and teacher in New Jersey with some harp making experience as well. She is selling a Sligo Luchair by Rick Kemper – Iris sometimes partners with Rick to do the decoration. I don’t know what she is asking for it but if you wish, write me here or off list and I will be happy to put you in touch.
Best wishes,
BiagioHi Kate,
I haven’t played the Melusine but I have the Dustys and a couple of Thormahlens (also near you). Here are a few thoughts in the hope they may be helpful:
Dusty makes two semi staved back models (FHXS and FHXH) which some small people find easier to deal with.
After mulling the same thoughts I decided that I really wanted those lower bass strings but rarely needed the highest so decided on a 34 but with the lowest an A (smaller harp than a 36). So I changed the strings on my own 34 – most makers will guide you in how to do that if you want to.
-You might consider joining the Puget Sound Folk Harp Society – I just saw a used Dusty 36S (stave back) for sale in the most recent newsletter: http://www.reigningharps.com/ and other used harps show up there all the time.
-You might find a round back there if that is something you are set on though I haven’t seen any recently except a Salvi Egan (talk about BIG).
-I am fairly small too so weight is an issue; but not height especially if you have an adjustable bench or chair. I have an “Adust-a-rite” and though it was pricey it was really worth it!
-Speaking of harp societies I’d also invite you to join the Virtual Harp Circle Yahoo! group: quite a few members live in the Pacific Northwest.
Best wishes,
BiagioSorry to be coming in late here…..
With respect to “celtic” music that’s a pretty broad term: Welsh, Irish, several varieties of Scottish, Manx, Galician, Breton….some of those indeed are best played with gut if you want to sound traditional (Welsh, some Scots and Galician) but the majority not – they were originally composed for wire strings. If you prefer non metallic go with nylon as a closer choice. Gut has too fast a decay to sound authentic – you will end up playing long arpeggios. That can indeed be very pleasant of course.
Two other points at the risk of sounding rude: first, copper is too soft to use as a music string and silver too heavy except for low bass. Second, it is as absurd to say that gut is the only way to go as it is to suggest that Sitka spruce is the only tone wood to use. Try different harps and choose what YOU prefer.
Biagio
That’s really exciting! FYI Carl will no doubt respond as a member here. I don’t know if Howard is a member, but I know him fairly well – he’s located in Virginia.
Biagio
It should be something that a luthier can do – the finish is nitro-cellulose lacquer I am (almost) sure. You could do it yourself if you feel brave:-) Gentle sanding and then thin coat of Deft lacquer. Make sure that the finish IS lacquer of course!
Biagio
Carl, I haven’t used Finale Notepad since getting the full version in 2012; but as I recall Notepad can read in a MIDI file. Otherwise one would have to enter the score by hand. Transposition happens with one “click” – being sure to specify whether it is to transpose up or down.
The full Finale can import a TIFF file that has been scanned from the printer (so they say but I haven’t tried that).
Biagio
Gretchen, you might take a look at Finale Notepad, which is free:
http://www.finalemusic.com/products/finale-notepad/
Up to 8 staves and it does transpose, but does not have all the bells and whistles of the full blown Finale product. Which is sometimes offered at a deep discount to Reader owners as well.
Biagio
Hi Kimberly,
You did not mention the harp’s age; however here is possibly a little reassurance pending your technician’s examination. The grain orientation that you mention is only that of the external surface veneer, which is extremely thin. The actual sound board is spruce with the grain running horizontally, so given your humidity “issues” this may only be a cosmetic problem.
However if you see any indication that the rib itself is separating (which of course is glued to that veneer) that would be cause for concern. The strings’ tension will hold the rib on but if you notice any buzzing down there as well then there may be some (hopefully minor) repair needed.
Good fortune,
BiagioI find a true lap harp (which I define for myself as under 30″ tall and 6 lb. in weight) to be a very nice thing to have. Nor do I find it necessary to add levers although I do for convenience. The size is rather key – assuming good response of course – in that I want to be be able to play it with the top about chin height and the base not much lower than the thighs ( a “true” lap harp -grin). Mine happens to be a double strung 23 – 46 total.
It’s in nylon though other types would be an option. I am not sure that using fluorocarbon or “silkgut” would tell you very much about how those strings would sound on a larger harp since they would be rather thin but I suppose one could try it. I made that and six others as rentals for a retreat, keeping the first prototype. Any harp maker could duplicate it I’m sure if that idea appeals to you. They cost about $200 US to make and I sold the lot at $500 each excluding levers. So – not a major investment for a nice little harp to noodle around on the sofa, or throw in the car.
I don’t know Mr. Stevens’ work though he certainly seems to know what he is doing! Alun Thomas and his father however are very well known and respected on this side of the Atlantic.
Hoping that is helpful,
BiagioI think you can be assured that any of these harps will last a good long time – several decades at least. I had one gut strung harp that was over 85 years old and although I put on lighter strings it still sounded great.
Dusty introduced the Allegro/Crescendo line to give people something intermediate in cost between the Ravennas and FH series; and because some people wanted essentially solid wood sides instead of ply like the Ravennas.
All of these folks have been making excellent harps for a long time so I would not worry. Actually, Dusty is not that big compared to Camac and Salvi. They only have a dozen or less people in the shop, which is about the size of a small cargo bay. The others are much larger and more automated. Dusty is just very, very efficient!
Biagio
Hi byouke,
“How good” or “better” in my opinion is a very qualitative thing and there are also some rather traditional elements mixed in that may or may not be justified. Further, makers design their harps with a certain tone and color in mind – the choice of both strings and board are inter-related. I think that if it is a well known maker and you like the harp THAT is the best basis for judgement.
Personally I feel that there are only a few good arguments of the many that have been proposed to favor wood over high density laminate. Those are a) it does continue to improve over time b) the tone will be richer compared to laminate if the strings were designed for it and c) the upper register is generally better unless the maker has thinned the laminate to less than 1/8 inch (most don’t).
Within reason one can substitute one string type for another without over- or under- stressing the sound board – providing that a professional string designer or the maker has worked the math. Of the three types you mention, gut has the fastest decay and nylon the slowest; “silkgut” and Aliance fluorocarbon in my opinion have a somewhat mellower tone than nylon (the brightest of the three) and longer sustain than gut. But take that with a grain of salt because is only one opinion and based mainly on my own harp designs.
Of the three, gut is the most expensive and tends to wear out sooner than the others. But when you consider the cost of strings against the cost of the entire harp, if you like gut go for it I say.
It sometimes surprises people that you can also substitute steel for nylon (at smaller diameters of course), but I don’t recommend that. Steel strings don’t sound to me like either a harp or a (brass or bronze string) clarsach:-)
Hope that helps and best wishes,
BiagioHeh Heh, there are times I name my harps by the symbols found on the shift of the first typewriter row keys. But since you ask…I have a nylon/gut model line named “Selchie” (they vary by size) and a wire line called “Gwalchmai”.
Laurie persuaded me to take in her lovely old cherry Caswell wire 27 but I would have to search my heart to give her a name. It was made by Chris and his wife in 1985 around the time I first met him. You don’t name something like that easily.
Biagio
