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I live in Florida near the ocean. You will have the same issues with a pedal harp as with a lever harp. Using the dehumidifier is important. Air conditioning would be preferable but that does not work for you. A breathable fabric (natural fiber or cover that comes with the harp) will help.
I would contact Lyon Healy/Salvi in Chicago and ask for the prices new. At 20 years old and with inflation, the harp asking price would probably be around the original sales price. It will likely get down to which harp you like better in terms of sound and plucking. If all are equal, I would get the harp that was restrung and regulated more. You may want to have a harp guild tech inspect the harp or perhaps arrange a FaceTime look at the harp. I presume your harp teacher will also help you. I have owned Salvi concert grands for many years.
I applaud you for being self aware about your chords and playing. Do you take harp lessons? If you are being self taught, this would be the time to find a good harp instructor with lessons preferably in person. However, there are a lot of excellent teachers who teach online. You may also want to look into joining Harp Mastery http://www.harpmastery.com. There are online tutorials and there are live online instructors. Harp Column Academy also has an array of prerecorded tutorials that would be helpful.
I would suggest you check out http://www.harpcenter.com for the article about music apps. I would get a couple music apps and work on them to supplement lessons. They have apps for rhythm, note reading and other music needs. The sooner you have note reading etched in your brain, the quicker you can advance. It is like learning to add and subtract. You do it until it is automatic. Secondly, with your teacher make up a quick sound bite you can play so you have a piece ready when someone wants to hear your harp. My suggestion would be to play the final page of The Little Fountain. You can make really nice glissandos simply by pressing two strings on your lever harp.
Sounds like a good strategy on your part. Have your agents read the controversy surround children’s author Jason Tharp. He was prevented from reading his unicorn book to students at a scheduled school event because the book, with rainbows and unicorns, was questioned about appropriateness by a parent. The fall out from other parents was far worse than cancelling the event. Same principle applies to leaving out Golliwogs Cakewalk.
I am fed up with revisionist history. Golliwogs Cakewalk is part of a suite of famous music and should be included. Put something in the preface about its origins as you stated. If someone is offended, they don’t have to perform the music. To exclude it is like book burning. Just have had it with WOKEs and the other high-minded politically correct types who want to spare me needing a safe space or security blanket yet force their views on me in the process. Your publisher should not cave in to these nitwits.
I would rent a harp for a few months. Biagio, it is difficult to give advice when the request is so broad. Since Harp57 was a harp major, he/she will need to sort this out. I was in the same boat when I got back into serious harp playing after quite a few years of coasting and not really playing. I had to decide for myself what would work.
It sounds like you do not have air conditioning. I would not worry about the rust for a while, but at a year old, I would change all the strings. Use the tension suggested by the manufacturer or post your specific brand harp in a new post and ask what strings other harpists use. For now I would also buy or make a cover with a natural, breathable fiber. Synthetic fibers hold moisture in. You should keep a cover on the harp when not playing if you do not have climate control.
Tarnish resistant wires sound fine, Saul. I used those on my recording, I live in Florida and they are a must-have.
Back to basics here: What model harp do you have? Was it purchased new or used? Do you know the brand of wires in the harp? Where do you live? More info on your harp, please.
Try before you buy. The sound can vary widely. You don’t want to make an expensive mistake. Don’t be afraid to negotiate the price.
Another thought. If you are willing to pay $10k for a harp you might be better off buying a new Salvi Daphne for $15k.
Here is a Salvi Symphony harp you might want to look at. https://reverb.com/item/41702096-salvi-symphony-harp
I would ask the seller if she would give you permission to talk to the tech. Buying a harp that old has plus’s and minus’s. A professional probably would not buy this harp but a beginner or someone who plays for fun like you might be able to use the harp for quite a few more years with no problems or repairs. The Salvi harps of that vintage, as I said above, are very well built. That was the situation with mine.
I would certainly not pay $10k for a semi-grand harp this old. Salvi does not have records of this era harp but I think the cost new was about $4k. Not sure what I would pay, maybe $5-7k. I would gently ask the tech for guidance on pricing and perhaps contact Anderson Insurance for advice. I presume you would join the American Harp Society if you not already and use that privilege to insure the harp through Anderson.
I owned a Salvi Aurora concert grand the same age. New it cost $6,500. I sold it ten years ago for $10k. Harps of that era were known as battleship harps because they were built very sturdy. The necks are very strong. I much prefer Salvi to Lyon and Healy which I learned on. The pedals are exactly the same on Salvi and Lyon Healy. That said, you could still could be dealing with age issues. When I sold my Aurora about ten years ago, it needed a rerivet. I discounted the price $3,000 to reflect that repair. A hobbyist would not need to deal with it but it kept professionals from buying the harp. In addition, the base frame was going to need a repair in the future due to age. So, my point is, you should get a full inspection by a guild tech to determine any needed repairs now or in the future. Specifically ask about the soundboard, base frame, neck and possible rerivet. Cosmetically, my harp was in excellent condition. Also, keep in mind a new set of strings will cost around $600. The strings should be changed if they are more than a year old or have that amount taken off the asking price. My thoughts.
