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Just wanted to say that the Lyon & Healy Transport Cover for their Prelude will fit a Troubadour, but it seems they no longer sell those parts separately, only as a 3-piece set, so I don’t think the column and base covers would necessarily work on a Troubadour.
It’s possible that the copyright holder will no longer give permission for more/new paper copies to be printed, for which royalties must be paid. Permission for electronic PDFs is also required and is usually more expensive than for paper copies.
I would definitely have your teacher take a look at this. Perhaps the wrong wire was put in that package; compare its diameter to the adjacent E. They should be very close in width/gauge. If the wire really is too short to use (which your photo indicates), you should return it to the vendor (I would call them first; you may not be the only customer with this problem). There should be 4 to 6 inches of wire past the tuning pin when it passes through the hole (before winding it on).
Hi, Alison, for the pedal that flops down, try attaching it to an adjacent pedal with a heavy rubber band. That will keep it from falling when you’re moving the harp, probably the only time you really need the pedal to stay up so it doesn’t catch on something and get broken.
According to the facsimile of the Lyon & Healy 1899 Harp book (catalog), the style 21 is 69 inches tall, 34 inches wide, has 45 strings, and weighs 65 lbs. In 1899 it cost $875 brand new! Described as “Designed especially for solo playing for home or stage purposes.”
Do you know if it needs restoration? If so, I would recommend H.Bryan & Co. at oldharpsmadeyoung.com. My reason is they try to preserve as much of the original as possible, replicating parts when necessary. You can check with both companies and see what you’re comfortable with. By the way, harps of that age generally use lighter gauge strings than modern harps, so you can ask H.Bryan about that, too. You don’t want to put too much tension on an old harp’s soundboard and neck. Congratulations and have fun!
I can’t speak to the color issue, but I believe the Metropolitan Opera orchestra has two red Salzedos, so color is evidently becoming more acceptable in professional settings. Most harps are behind the string section anyway. A rainbow harp would be rather pretty amongst all that black attire. Don’t expect to be able to use the amplification, though, in that setting, unless it’s an outdoor concert or maybe pops.
Re: using a smaller harp, I have very successfully used a 44 string semi-grand in orchestra (with an extended soundboard, so no problem with the sound carrying). It really comes down to volume and whether you have enough strings to play the repertoire. If you are considering a 40 string harp, those usually have a straight board. I don’t know if it would be loud enough or that you would have all the notes needed for orchestra. Of course that depends on the orchestra. If you mean a church group, you can usually rewrite and do what is necessary to make your part work. A group playing standard orchestral literature, maybe not so much. Others may have better info for you.
The dowels are a Camac thing. Other makers use the string end anchor and a different knot. Both are good.
That is true. There was a notice in the lastest Harp Column magazine, page 45 (third page from the back).
Also, for what it’s worth, I was told to sit slightly higher at a Camac than at other brands, which definitely made me more comfortable after a year of squirming around before I knew that. Added benefit is a better view of the high octaves when playing.
Hi, all! Comparing the 44-string Clio and Trianon, both have the same dimensions, even the same decoration on the soundboard. The Clio is from 1999, the Trianon (I was told) from 2003, so it has some gold trim which Camac no longer adds, but I didn’t care about that. I was looking for a harp that kinda/sorta had a look similar to my Lyon & Healy 23.
You all know that every harp sounds a little different, even two identical ones. Camacs seem (to me) to sound better to the listener than to the player, but that’s subjective. My husband (who is also a musician) and my harpist friends say they both sound great. Both are strung with Premier gut (5th through 2nd), some Pirastro nylons and some Vanderbilt and Atlanta Harp Center nylons in the 1st (working my way through my supply), and D’Addario wires. My personal opinion is this particular Trianon sounds a little brighter in the top two octaves than this particular Clio, but “your milage may vary.” I can’t compare them to other Camac models since my only other harp is a 23. They are very well constructed and probably two of the best investments I ever made. I use them interchangeably.
They both project well (used them in orchestra, no problem) and very resonant, especially in the bass. If you look at my website you can see photos of both (www.AtlantaHarpist.com) Another reason I like them is I’m (just barely) 5 feet tall. Small but scrappy!
I bought a 44-string Camac Clio 22 years ago. It has an extended soundboard which is as wide as the one on my Lyon & Healy concert grand (I didn’t know that when I bought it but it’s a plus). I have used the Camac in orchestra for years and our conductor was very satisfied with its volume. If he had not been, I would have switched to the other harp. There has been very little orchestral repertoire that did not fit just fine on the 44 strings. As for solo harp music, it’s pretty much the same story. They are definitely high quality as far as reliability and tone, so you will likely be able to resell it easily if you change your mind. I originally bought it for a gig harp because of its lighter weight; I liked it so much that I bought a second-hand 44-string Trianon, too, and use them both!
If the strings were gut and broke early on, that would relieve pressure on the neck. If a broken string is not soon replaced, there is extra tension on neighboring strings, encouraging more breakage. Attics can be very hot in summer, which could affect the glue that helps hold the wood joints together, along with damage to the finish from temperature extremes.
