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Kathy,
What beautiful instruments!! Thank you so much for sharing. Just another one for my never-ending wish list. VA Harpcenter has a natural Style 11 in right now. Take a glance on their Facebook page. It’s stunning.Biagio,
I’ve always been a little surprised that Ana’s aren’t more popular here in the USA, although it seems like I’m hearing and seeing them more lately. Perhaps it’s because people buy them and tend to keep them because they’re such good harps. But I’m equally as enthralled with the L&H Troubs and Preludes. It’s just amazing the quality of lever harps being built these days. I’m a lever harp fanatic, in fact, and a couple others I own that I’m in love with are my Stoney End Marion and my Thormahlen Serenade. They are both very unique in their sound. I found an old Troub I this past summer that I got for a good price. It’s been updated with Loveland levers, which work so much better than those original plastic levers. The harp has a very rich, dark, warm sound that is hauntingly beautifully. However, among them all, the Ana is still my favorite.
Hi Wil,
I was actually privileged enough to buy one of those on-sale Salvi Ana’s. They were brand new harps, just with the older Salvi levers, which I actually liked (though I’m in the minority). I eventually sold mine, but it was a great buying opportunity.
I currently have one of the newer model Ana’s I bought about a year ago. A Salvi rep told me they updated they soundboards and also updated the performance levers a bit. They also have hand-painted soundboard veneers. I’ve owned a lot of lever harps in my lifetime (Jerusha can tell you), but this is one of the best in terms of sound. It’s big, warm, and lush (if you like that sort of thing). Salvi is having trouble keeping them in stock, in fact, and there are supposedly none for sale in North America right now. They have pedal spacing/tension; perhaps the ones with lever tension are being sold in Europe. Anyway, I’d give it a 10/10 in terms of lever harps in that style (with pedal harp voicing). I also love the Troubadours and Preludes. They are great harps as well. This Ana just really speaks to me.
Jerusha, are you still playing that Dusty from so many years ago? Isn’t that a great instrument!!
Hi Sarah,
I would HIGHLY recommend the Salvi Ana to you. I currently own one, and it’s one of the best lever harps I’ve ever owned. In the last few years, Salvi has been making modifications to all of their harps to improve the tone. The Ana’s already sounded good, but with the changes in the way they make them, they are just superb.
The latest models have a hand-painted soundboard that is just gorgeous. They recently debuted one with Start and Play levers on every string. Mine uses performance levers, which also have been upgraded a bit, at least according to Salvi. They also put those new levers on every string. Mine does not have levers on the top two bottom and top strings. I keep them turned to flats just because I play in Eb a lot.
The best part of the instrument is its sound. When Peter from Salvi in LA sent me sound samples, I really thought I was listening to a pedal harp. The sound is clear and even across all the octaves. It’s got a good bit of depth and warmth, which is what I love in a harp. I had to downsize from a pedal harp due to some severe back problems I was having, and I don’t think I could have made a better choice. I can’t say much about the Camac model. I played one once several years ago and was not that impressed with it. However, that was just one harp, and perhaps they’ve made improvements since then.
I’ve heard that there is a shortage of Ana’s in North America right now. You might want to call Peter at Salvi in LA or Lyon and Healy to see if they have any. All Salvi harps shipped to the US go through Lyon and Healy now. Or perhaps you’ve found one on your own. I’ll try to include some pictures. Best of luck, and please keep us posted.
Mariah,
If the Troubadour is in good condition, that’s a good price. There are some excellent points above about areas of the harp to inspect the closest. I have a Troubadour VI from 2012, and it is a great harp in every regard–stability, function of the levers, ease of transporting, etc. My favorite part about the harp is its sound. People often see the Troubadours as stepping stones to a pedal harp, but I love them for the way they look and the sound they can produce. If you can find a good one, it would rival a small pedal harp in volume, warmth, and overall quality of sound production. L&H uses the exact same boards for the Troubadours and Preludes, in fact, so you’re paying more for a Prelude because of the design, not a superior sound over the Troubadours.
Also, check out the Stoney End Marion. In my opinion, this is the best harp on the market in its price range. I used to always pass them up at the harp conferences, but I own one now, and it’s really one of the best, if not the best, folk harp I’ve ever played. There are other good makers out there as well, of course. Folk harp design and construction has come so far, so I’m sure you can find just what you’re looking for.
Hi Sherry,
I hesitate to even mention it, because it’s definitely not in the category of the other pieces listed here, but you may be referring to my piece “Upon the Willows.” This is definitely not a shameless promotion of the piece. 🙂 And, yes, Balfour’s right. It’s included in a slightly simplified version in Angi Bemiss’s new book “The Music of Friends, Volume 2.” The original version is still being printed by Seraphim Music, and I think it’s available from the larger music dealers. Thank you for your kind comments about the piece!
Great suggestions! I’m working on pieces from Andres’ “Ribambelle” collection. I’ve found that Angi Bemiss has some beautiful arrangements of slower pieces. Oh, and Rhett Barnwell also. His slower pieces are beautiful. My favorite of his to play right now is “Oh the Beautiful Treasures.”
Thank you so much, Gretchen!! I’m honored to hear you say that. And, Balfour, yes, I LOVE the arrangements you did with Angi. I use them all the time. I’m hoping that you guys will do more in the future.
The red Salzedo he used is actually now for sale at L&H West in Salt Lake. L&H shipped it there especially for him to use at a conference and for this performance. Just a FYI in case anyone would like to purchase it. 🙂 Gretchen, the Tabernacle is actually not a Temple and is open to anyone. The Salt Lake Temple, which is next door, is reserved for Latter-day Saints only. The Tabernacle is open daily to visitors, and the Temple Square organists play daily recitals there. It’s a great place to visit.
Like you, I don’t think I’d want to own one, but it does look stunning on stage.
This is a very good topic. I am a male harpist with large hands. I discovered the hard way that there can be great variation in string spacing in pedal harps. I purchased a Salvi semi grand (a Daphne 44) without playing it first. When the harp arrived, I was unable to play it because the spacing was significantly narrower than a concert grand. I had a L&H Troubadour at the time, and the spacing on the Daphne was so much less that I consistently reached for an octave plus one when trying to play octaves. Buzzing increased dramatically also, especially in my right hand. Thankfully, I was able to sell the harp, but it was a good lesson in yet another reason to always try my best to play a harp in person before purchasing. I tried a Salvi Arion 47 once and had the same problem. Salvi told me that they basically are fitting 47 strings into a semi grand frame, so the spacing has to be reduced to make all the strings fit. This isn’t necessarily a negative thing, but it is important to know before purchasing a harp.
I have a beautiful L&H concert grand now (Style 100), and I have no difficulty going back and forth between it and my L&H lever harp. So, I think the key is to to try the harp in person if spacing may be an issue. Of course, this is best anyway to be sure you are getting a harp that produces the sound you want.
Allyson, I know your daughter’s teacher suggested not looking at a 40-string pedal harp, but you may want to consider the L&H Chicago 40 model. If you purchase a new one, you can trade it in for its full value up to five years after the purchase. I owned one, and they are great little harps. They’re not much bigger than a Prelude and aren’t difficult to move. Hopefully they’ll have some at the factory for you to try out. Good luck in your search!
Jodi, I have a Troubadour as well as a Serenade. Going back and forth between them is no problem at all in terms of tension. To me, a greater concern would be getting a harp with standard string spacing. If I remember correctly, the spacing on the Merlin harps is narrow. If you learn on this harp and then later go to a different folk harp (or a Troubadour or pedal harp), you may have some difficulty. I may be wrong on this since I have not played a Merlin in a long time, but it is something to consider.
The Harp Connection rents nationwide, I think. Of course, you have to pay for shipping of the harp both to and back to them if you choose not to purchase it.
Jodi, Donna’s right on target. I’ve owned or at least played many of the harps you’ve mentioned. The type of music that you want to play can affect your harp choice, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t play any type of lever harp music on either harp. My personal choice is L&H, but I prefer concert tension and spacing. If you end up leaning towards an Ogden, I’d suggest that you also consider a L&H Troubadour. They usually have several on their CPO website, and you can usually get a very good deal on a used Troubadour. Sometimes they are only slightly used. I have a Troubadour VI and love it. I played an Ogden recently at a conference I was attending. While I liked it, the sound was not as big as a Troubadour or Prelude. However, I don’t think you’d be disappointed with an Ogden if you go that route. In short, L&H and Dusty both build great harps. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in either. If you like a brighter sound, consider the Dusty. If you like warm, rich, and more mellow, consider L&H. Let us know what you end up choosing!
Lyn, it has 36 strings–five full octaves. Yes, Santa was especially good to me this year! I love this little harp. I’ll see if I can include a YouTube link to a recording: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYc-XTYib4o&feature=c4-overview&list=UU4aNn7giihYxxy5kgnWAQGA
