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A couple of things….
If you don’t like the LH levers you could always have them changed to another brand that you do like. A harp repairer/maker would be able to do this for you. You are not stuck with what comes standard.
If you don’t like the LH sound why stick with it? There’s more choice in the harp world and it’s better to have a harp you love the sound of than one you merely tolerate.
I don’t really agree that if you want to go to pedal harp someday that you necessarily need a small harp that has the same spacing and tension as a pedal harp. Making the adjustment wouldn’t take very long at all, your fingers would learn amazingly fast so why limit yourself? Many harpists play pedals and lower tensioned celtic harps. They manage just fine, you would too. Technique is not significantly different.
Get the harp you love because they’re not cheap and you won’t be satisfied with anything less.
Lots of places sell these small harps. Try Music Makers as they have a couple of kits that you can put together yourself quite affordably with decent sound. All you need is a screw driver and some time. Blevins make small harps also and many like them. I’m sure others will also point you in the right direction.
The only other thing I can say is that with less than 26 strings will you find repertoire rather limiting, unless of course you plan on composing and arranging music yourself. The harp is one of those instruments that require range to be really satisfying musically. But if you are happy with that limitation then go for it.
I’m a big of the Friou early music stuff. It doesn’t look hard on paper….but then we all know putting fingers on strings is another matter. My harp teacher got me to use the Bernard Andres pieces as well, Asters, marelles and ribambelle. They also look really sparce on paper but sound absolutely lovely and full, not like beginner pieces as well. And as always a lot more challenging than they appear. Andres loves to put finger combinations down that are real technique builders. But then you also have a real sense of achievement once you’ve got it down. Not so difficult that it’s frustating. In fact the melody lines are usually pretty easy to learn.
I have a 32 string model. I can only say I’ve met over 20 people who own these harps and not one of them has regretted their decision. All agree they are good value for money. There is nothing uneven about the tone on my harp, no muddiness and no harshness either.
I can’t imagine what the previous poster means by saying “they are not suitable for classical or folk music”, if an instrument rings true to pitch and has good tone there is no reason that any kind of music couldn’t be played on them. I play both types of music on my harp and so far no complaints from the people hearing it. The claim that Thom harps are categorically “unsuitable” as an instrument is in my own opinion total rubbish.
Certainly if you are after a harp with a traditional look then by all means find a traditional harp. I agree it’s good to get a teacher’s opinion but so saying that you musst remember that even the best teachers have their own harp preferences (they are human afterall) and will naturally lead you towards the harp they have been most happy with. Nothing wrong with that but it shouldn’t deter from buying the harp you love.
I agree with other posters that the opinion expressed by AJ is totally out of alignment with anything I’ve ever heard about Thom harps and certainly completely in disagreement with my own experience of owning one.
I own a Thom harp and I’m in love with it. Never had a moment’s problem with it. It always outshines (louder, clearer sound) any other folk harp I play with (yes even next to a Triplett). Plus according to my eye it’s gorgeously beautiful. It’s also extremely well built. I’ve knocked it more times than I can count and it has no dents. It travels easily and is durable, as well as being significantly lighter to carry than many similar sized all wood harps I’ve seen.
The downsides? Because they are finished in car paint, you can get chips in the finish. And if you have a multi-colour one like I do it can be difficult to cover this over with touch-up paint successfully. I’ve played and heard at least 8 different versions of his harps and they all sound great. Mine is high tension, although even the low tension ones ring loud and feel higher tension than similar sized wood harps. Honestly unless you are really wanting a pedal harp sound I wouldn’t pay the extra for the high tension. The folk tension is very good and there have been times when I’ve wished mine was lower tension (when I get blisters on my finger tips).
Also if you are looking for a very “celtic” or traditional harp shape then his harps probably aren’t for you. They are very modern in appearance and it’s the kind of styling that grows on you, rather than falling in love with it immediately. So saying that, the gorgeous white butterfly wing harp on his site I have seen and heard in person. It truly looks like something from the Lord Of The Rings. Absolutely beautiful and ethereal. It’s finished in a white pearl paint which makes it appear magical.
I’ve never met anyone who has a Thom harp who doesn’t love it. I knew a lot of other players with these harps and they all thought it was money well spent. I do think though that his big harps (more than 30 strings) are the pick of what he does.
Only the soundbox is aluminium, and it doesn’t sound tinny at all. The only difference in tone between my harp and a wood harp is mine tends to sound clearer and is much, much louder. The bass in particular is very clear rather than muddy.
Rosalind,
I regularly view David playing Aoyama harps on Youtube, whenever I need inspiration to practice or just want to revel in the mastery of a great harpist. I agree it’s nothing short of magickal. I enjoy my harp always, even when I’m not playing it.
Such reports and put downs are usually made by people with little to no experience with the instrument. When I went to purchase my first harp everyone said I should buy such and such as they were “the best”, well I didn’t buy one of those because I didn’t like them and found them to be overpriced compared to the one I did buy. I love my harp (by an obscure maker) and everyone who sees it also agrees it’s a very fine instrument. No-one who has ever heard it has said it’s anything but a great harp. But I’ve heard lots of people who’ve never seen it or one of it’s sisters make ridiculous statements about it’s quality.
Just like all things there’s also a lot of
Since you are in Germany have you considered the nice little pedal harps they make in Austria? These harps have pedals, are smaller than a full size (nice and light) and are strung in nylon. They are also very well priced compared to a regular pedal harp.
Here’s some examples…
http://www.muernseer-harps.com/And you hear what they sound like on YouTube here…
http://uk.youtube.com/user/ullii
Gillian
Well I haven’t met any famous people but was once accosted in the street by a group of teens who were convinced I was a famous TV actress. Despite my telling them it wasn’t true they still insisted on taking a ream of photos of each of them with me. I even tried ignoring them and walking away and they ran down the street after me. When they told me who they were convinced I was I almost died laughing because there just isn’t a resemblance anywhere.
It must have been crazy month in town that day….
I don’t have a definitive answer but I will say this. I’ve been watching lots of harp vid on UTube. Some players (famous or not) are dead boring to watch and listen to while others have me entranced and it has nothing to do with the difficulty of the music or correctness of their playing.
Some players just seem to have the ability to connect to the music and bring it alive, even if the music is incredibly simple to play. Others can play well known “challenging repertoire” and the whole piece falls dead even though the notes are being played correctly. It’s like listening to a pianola, correct yes, alive no.
I personally believe the difference isn’t natural talent but passion. If you are merely skilled in a piece and play it correctly without ever having a passion for it, it will always sound dead and laboured.
2 cents
