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I love my Crate Limo (and the Peavy solo amp before that). “Treble” and “bass” make sense to me, but can someone please explain what “gain” and “shape” mean?
Remember that all the answers you’ll get here are strictly personal opinions. I used to be prejudiced toward one brand when I was young (and based on my teacher’s prejudice, too), but hope I’ve gotten past that in 30+ years.
All the companies you mentioned make fine instruments as far as quality and construction. Little details may differ between any company’s high-end and low-end products, but it’s usually superficial stuff like finish.
Given that no two harps are exactly the same (even the same model built at the same time–just like people), you have to decide what kind of sound you want and how much you’re willing to pay (new, used?).
I have never heard that any one brand is more or less affected by weather than any other. All harps are affected by weather. Not usually a problem if you take good care of it.
If weight is a factor, you can compare that on the companies’ websites. Most instrument problems I’ve heard of usually occur after many years of use and are not unexpected. For the occasional early problem, you have the warranty.
I’ve played and heard a lot of harps and read reams about them, and I’ve never, ever heard that one brand is “better” overall than another. Within the parameters any buyer decides are most important to him or her, it’s all subjective.
I used to consider hearses when I was young and thought it would be cool, especially if it were painted a cheerful color. But their distinctive styling can’t hide what they are, and you can usually only get one that’s used and pretty worn out. They get terrible gas milage. More important, would you get complaints from clients (especially brides) whose guests see a hearse parked outside the church or other venue? You’d be labeled as the harpist who drives a hearse and some would not hire or refer you based on that.
I played one within the last year for another harpist who was interested in buying it but was too far away to come try it herself. Another harpist friend and I thought it was one of the best harps we’d ever heard and both of us would have loved to own it.
True. I played “A Little Night Music” some years ago and never had such fun! We wished it would run for months but it was a limited engagement. One of the best show harp parts ever. Sondheim is a genius.
That’s even more insidious than previously mentioned.
I just found out the show my husband’s playing this week originally had a harp part (for which I would have been hired), but the rental now includes a synth. part with–you guessed it–the harp part incorporated into that. The show’s “Candide” by Bernstein.
So sorry that happened, Martin. A few years ago a couple harpists in my area had tuning pins that were breaking when they tuned (the same one more than once). These were on bass wires. It turned out they were putting on the wrong gauge wire (too thick), not their mistake but because the wrong wire was in the package. That is probably not what happened to your harp but that was the first time we’d heard of that.
I think the Salvi ones are burgundy and the Camac ones are black. Then there is Four Seasons where you can order the color you want.
Harps need a little time to acclimate to new temperature and humidity level after moving to a new place before you tune it, but at home, I don’t think it needs “warming up,” like my dad’s car in the winter when I was a child. After you’ve warmed up, your tone perhaps improves because you’re more relaxed?
Thanks, all. The concert was last night and went well. Now I want to see the ballet. I did find this, though:
Be aware, too, that although it’s scored for orchestra, many places will use just organ, harp and percussion to save money, or they may be very tight for space. Sometimes they’ll add a string quartet. One time when I did it and they had only organ, harp and percussion, I was afraid I’d have to carry the whole thing by myself because the power went out and the organ wouldn’t work. Fortunately it came back on just before the service!
The harp plays on only three movements: 5, 7 & 9. Nine is very easy, you just have to count carefully until you come in. Some say 7 is the most difficult because of the constant arpeggios and page turns, but I found it helps to copy the pages and tape them together like an accordion so you can grab the corner quickly. The physical momentum of the figures helps keep you going and it’s beautiful and fun to play.
For me (maybe because I have small hands–I don’t know), the most difficult is no. 5 because the chords jump around and some choir directors like to take it too fast because their singers don’t have enough breath support. The tempo is marked in the music and is reasonable. If they try to rush you, stand up for yourself. If necessary, take a metronome with you to rehearsal so you can make your point. I wish I had last time I played it.
There’s an excellent CD you should get if you don’t have a recording of this piece: get the Dresdner Philharmonie with Martin Flamig conducting; it’s on Capriccio Digital, a 1987 recording. You can really hear the harp.http://www.amazon.de/Weihnachtsoratorium-Martin-Flaemig/dp/B000025ZLP
