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What harp are you playing? If you have a harp tech you use regularly, you could send the video to the tech. My harp did this once and it turned out the spring needed to be greased.
I have 3 concert grand harps so it makes sense for me to keep a full set of gut strings. Essentially, what I am doing is buying the strings a year in advance of needing them. I have one harp that get very much out of regulation when I restring it. Therefore, it gets restrung about 2-4 weeks before the harp tech comes. I restring my harps annually and the wires every two years. The harp tech replaces the wire strings with those I buy prior to the regulation. But, as I said in another post, even though I play my harps a lot, after a year the Premier and Vanderbilt strings are still good. Because I play with my guitar partner, two churches, wind groups, and record, I think I change my strings more than most harpists. Really, you need to change your strings when they start sounding dead or for some unknown reason, you don’t seem to enjoy your harp. I think it is best to change a few weeks prior to getting a regulation which you should do at least every two-three years. The harp tech said a major reason for restringing – this includes bass wires – is to keep tension over time from building which ultimately damages the soundboard. You can talk to your harp tech and harp makers about what is best for you and your harps. This is just what works for my situation.
You can get 3 or 4 strings out of each length of a Premier string in the first two octaves. You can get two strings out of the 3rd octave (or most of it.) You may already have your extra strings. The 4th and 5th octaves seldom break in my experience so I don’think I would go to the expense of getting them as spares. If you are using mainly Premier strings, it would be best to have that brand on hand. I keep a full set of strings. When it is time to restring my harp, I use the spare strings and buy whatever strings I need to keep as spares. That way strings don’t go bad and all get used.
Would it be reasonable for you to rent a concert grand harp for a while? That would give you more time to decide what harp you really want to own. This is a very expensive decision to make. Agree with Alison to try before you buy, if possible. Whatever way you go, be sure to have a full replacement musical insurance policy for your harp, especially while at the university.
No one else has tried Premier Strings? Or Vanderbilt? Or has gone back to Bow? Surely, there must be other views pro and con. Thoughts from those who have tried various brand of strings. I think this topic is focused on gut strings for pedal harps.
I ordered Premier Strings the day after they were available to replace Bow Brand gut strings. It made such a huge difference in sound on my Salvi Iris that the harp went from a shower singer to a Met Opera diva. I then ordered a set for my Salvi Apollo. The sound clarity was so significant that I had to re-record part of my album Sketchbook of a Journey. I also had a LH17 but the Premier Strings did not make a significant change in sound. However, it was sure great not to have strings breaking constantly.
Check Yolanda Kondanassis Facebook page. She has comments about new improvements to Premier Strings.
Although, I am very happy with the Premier strings, several months ago I sold the LH17 for another Salvi Concert grand that came strung with Vanderbilt gut. I used Vanderbilt gut for many years until they stopped being made. I had not realized they were available again. Anyhow, the new harp live sound and recording quality was jawdroppingly magnificent. I restrung my Iris with Vanderbilt gut because of that but found the sound was the same as Premier. The major difference is the Premier gut strings in the top 3 octaves are narrower than Vanderbilt gut. For my personal preference, I like the thicker strings because I can control them better on my harps. My Apollo is still strung with Premier Strings.
I did find Premier and Vanderbilt to be interchangeable if a string breaks. But neither brand works with Bow IMHO. I restring my harps annually and frankly, neither the Vanderbilt or Premier Strings really needed to be changed when a year passed by. I just change strings prior to getting the harps regulated to ensure my instruments are in perfect condition.
Bottom line – Vanderbilt gut and Premier gut are super strings.
I am addressing the harp loudness. Ages ago you could buy felt strips for harps to weave in the lower strings to make the harp more quiet. You could use piano tuning felt to do the same.
Nice lights. Thanks for letting HC members know. Too bad they don’t work with an iPad. I have not used sheet music for five years.
If you want to get in shape for harp playing, I suggest watching Jen Hilman yoga videos on YouTube or join a twice weekly yoga class. Also, go on YouTube and watch the clips on finger fitness. I further find doing downward arpeggios every day really keep my fingers limber. You can use The Little Fountain for downward arpeggios and have a showy piece to play, too. I try to do Salzedo conditioning exercises but I get lazy about that.
Renting would be a good idea if you have any doubts about buying a pedal harp.
If I was in your situation, I would certainly want to try as many harps as possible. Also ask about which ones hold their re-sale best. As a tall person, a concert grand would be best. Personally, the best value on a concert grand harp harp is the Salvi Apollo. I have one and it is a super all purpose harp. However, it is heavy to move but l can move mine by myself. With arthritis, I don’t know if the harp, in general, would be too heavy. Mine is very easy to play. Salvi harps are also strong and very consistent in sound. I went through harp buying six years ago and looked seriously at Lyon Healy, Camac and Salvi. Good luck to you in making a difficult decision.
No. I think regulation depends on the quirkiness of the harp and how much you play and move the harp. I get mine regulated at least annually and change the gut strings once a year, bass wires every two years. But, that is me, not the climate. Hmmm, in thinking about this, you had to deal with dry winter heat and then hot, humid summers. Now the climate for you will be pretty much the same year round.
If you keep your a/c and humidity constant, your harp will be happy. I have a hygrometer to measure the humidity. I absolutely do not play outdoors. We live near the ocean so I don’t let east wind blow in. Pretty much, my harps are not exposed to outside air. Joe Urban and Jason Azem are the guild techs usually making the rounds. Joe comes around December and Jason comes in Spring. Check the harp tech website and get on their mailing list. You might want to join the South Florida chapter of the American Harp Society.
I would get all the work done on the harp before you move. I would not want to bring the harp to Florida only to find out after all these years, the harp must be sent to LH for a repair. Plus, the techs come to Florida less often than in the northeast.
If you are using a moving van or large truck, why not bring the harp to Florida yourself. For safety, it should be strapped to the side of the truck. Be sure the harp and your possessions are insured during transit. Our homeowners coverage only insured our belongings in the state we lived and the state we moved. Movers only pay per pound for damage unless you buy added insurance. I moved my harp from Maryland to Florida in the moving van. I had it put on toward the end so it would be first off. If you freight ship, it will cost you $400 shipping – maybe more with your heavy case – and another $100 or so for insurance. I recently sold my 17 and it was damaged during shipping – thankfully, nothing major or structural. The top of the box was crush and the crown was banged up.
Great that you are getting back into harp playing!
Wow, I just went to edit my comments and the post vanished. At the risk of repeating myself, I would get a professional assessment from a harp tech. You can find a guild tech via http://www.harptechguild.com. Virginia Harp Center has a retail store in New Jersey. Website is http://www.vaharpcenter.com. Also consider taking your harp to harp builder/restorer Carl Swanson in the Boston area. You could certainly talk to him about your harp situation. http://www.swansonharp.com. I would not move the harp or do anything until I had professional advice. A new 23 is around $35k. When you restring – which you need to do after all this time – I would use Vanderbilt or Premier gut strings.
Alison, I, too, started off with piano around age 6 and did not start harp until 18. If you want to play the harp badly enough you will figure things out. My main thought for the transition is to focus on how the harp is different from piano. It gets you away from piano think. Once I stopped comparing similarities and looked at the harp as distinctly different from piano (except for reading two clefs) I started grasping harp concepts much quicker.
