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It was $299 and free shipping, with a Slyvia woods Instruction book and other songbook. I’d pay return shipping on a return. Leaning a little more back to keeping it now.
Pretty much leaning to sending it back for now- and I hate returns especially shipped ones. Don’t want to end up with something bad down the road- although it plays and sounds really good now- I had to tune every string up a half step again today, and I think the lean might even be a little more- or my paranoia at work. Just measured it crudely with a straightedge yardstick and it looks as if it deviates about 1/4 of an inch or 5mm roughly. Guess it’s not that bad- no evidence of the joint coming apart.
Part of my own problem is I’m just plain shagged out tired and exhausted and very much in a summer doldrums. Geez, it’s been rainy and gloomy here in Florida- day after day. Not sure my judgments aside from that. Can’t much enjoy the harp either way, until I get back on an even keel. I think I have two weeks to return- so still feeling it out.
At this point not sure if and when I’d get another- have to be patient I guess. These instruments are pricey and I’m on a fixed income, I really wish I could get a lot of strings- 29 or 36. That’s life…. Back to the other instruments for the time being I guess.
“Harpists are all Angels”-
A number of years back I wrote a script about a harp bearing angel-
when I couldn’t sell the script- I finally put it online- and it’s still there:
http://thehearpe.tripod.com/index.htmlNever known any real harpists myself, but I love “fairy music” and some of the fantasy art on youtube:
I’m a fairy guerilla journalist!
Is detuning the harp a step or two commonly done while transporting a harp?
And if so, at what extreme weather, time or distance would this be necessary?
So this is reminding me now of my classical guitar experiences- over time the necks bow – the action can be lowered several times filing down the bridge, but eventually the bow exceeds the ability to do so- I had one cheap Korean classical I started on that I sold with still acceptable “action life” but surmised that maybe a similar guitar actually had maybe 20 years if constantly kept at tension.
The Cordoba people came along then and started installing truss rods- like those in steel string dreadnaughts- into classical guitars about a decade back- so that’s a big consideration for me now.
I really have to evaluate this harp before deciding anything- hate to return things, but don’t want something going belly up- and as I said, I was surprised to learn this harp was 23 years old.
Thanks for your thoughts Biagio!
Heres another harp- a defective DMT 22 string paki harp- I was briefly looking at before I ordered mine. I though I might pick it up if the bidding stayed very low but eventually it sold on ebay for $158 PLUS $25 to ship.
The design looks flawed from the onset, and photos of later “DMT” harps- this model goes for $399- show apparent design changes.
This one looks almost reversed at the base of the front pillar- instead of the tuners being lined up over the center of the soundboard- the base of the pillar is way over on the other side:
This causes obvious side stress on the top joint- here stressed ot to cracking proportions:
Apperently later models changed the angle of the joint to slant upward and thus give more surface area of wood to meet and be glued together, as well as resolving the problems with the base of the front pillar-
at $400, one would hope so
It’s got me wary of at least certain design aspects- mainly I think I’d favor harps with a wide (front to back) section at the top, as well as the width of the pillar and the peg boards- allowing greater adhesion than a harp with a smaller joint.
Still not sure if or how this might affect sound quality- At this location and not being a part of the soundboard- I don’t think it would make much difference in sound. The weight might be a factor in a lap harp though. Thoughts?
Ever reinforced here? At what cost to sound?Sorry about the edits- feeling my way through this image hosting and its doing strange inconsistent things!
Yes- it was on ebay and is Cherry wood- I think I bought it last Thursday or Friday. I had seen several videos on youtube that I recognized the harp from:
They do see to have a bright sound- much better than my Pixie.
Yes- I’d like more strings! But what I was facing when looking to buy another harp was that anything with a lot of strings was right away steering me toward the Paki harps.
Your comments have elucidated my thoughts- and I see where my mind was when I posted my queries. My concern over the sound and quality of my own Pixie harp have been quieted with closer review: I think the soundboards on the newer Paki harps may have improved. The larger ones now advertise a “birch ply” soundboard that appears lighter and of finer grain than the previous ones like on mine.
I have some regrets that I ordered the Eve, but it was already at the upper limit of what I wanted to spend- and a 27 or 29 Paki harp with full levers would cost at least $150 more. So now I am anxious to compare the two smaller harps and make what progress I can with the EVE- my old Pixie has NO levers. I’m not sure If I’ll purchase, or be in position to purchase another harp again.
Alas, I’m afraid to admit the harp is still behind guitar, piano and violin for me- and I can’t give any the time they deserve. Yet I enjoy them all! My experiences with guitars and ukuleles has me wary of laminates- that material produces a very dead sound box on those instruments, yet it is a very DIFFERENT instrument, and so I was wondering about what the principles of the harp construction were regarding the sound quality to the necessary strength needed to make a viable and lasting harp.
So anyway, I’m still waiting on the Eve, and feeling like I at least will have a better instrument, but wondering if I should have opted for the improved looking pakis with at least 27 or 29 strings. Will I ever want to “descend” again to the Pakis? The sides of those are ornate and probably thicker than need be. Still they ARE physically attractive beautiful instruments. Will I ever be at a level of playing where it matters? perhaps..
I wish sampling harps was really an option- not much opportunity in Jacksonville and I wish I was still in LA even if Sylvia Woods has moved to Hawaii, there’s that outfit now in Westwood. Wrap you harps in asbestos!
The old Pixie Harp- Benjamin Bunny NOT included!
Go look at he performances on youtube. Some o the best ones are actually done with smaller harps. When I cycled in my younger days, we used to say “It’s not the chassis, it’s “THE MOTOR”. The Mighty Bob Dylan wrote: “She’s got everything she needs, she’s an artist, she don’t look back”
A creed to live by! Be an artist! Make your music from soup cans if you have to!
Seriously, the choice is yours. The big harp may be the way to go, but maybe you should make your music closer to home then. I think you are limiting yourself by feeling limited by a smaller instrument.
But I wish I had a bigger harp!
