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This might be the Alison Attar that you are seeking:https://www.facebook.com/alison.attar
Good luck!
Sadly, she seems to have passed away in 2010. When I see a piece on YouTube, I generally look for the person on Facebook or look for their website and contact them directly.
I know Michelle personally, and I know what is in her online pop courses. They are NOT simple. They are very methodical, very well thought out, and incredibly well delivered. She walks you through each aspect of the piece and makes it highly accessible. If you put the time in, you will certainly learn whatever song/lesson you choose. I will add that her arrangements are fantastic—-always amongst the top sellers and highest positive comments on harpcolumn music. Enjoy.
Know that every harp sounds different (even the same model from the same company). Camacs have a VERY different feel and sound. Not better, not worse…but certainly different. A pedal harp is NOT a gamble. As an adult learner, I wish I had switched from lever to pedal way sooner than I did. You won’t regret it. Have fun….doing the research and making the choice is exciting. I will say that when I bought my first pedal harp, I thought I’d have it for many years. However, after a couple of years, I got more clear on the sound I wanted MY harp to sound like, and found myself shopping again, researching again, selling my first pedal harp and buying a different one.
The less sunlight (even diffused) on it, the less likely (and more slowly) to turn the blond darker. It would take decades to get dark and it would be the next generation’s problem! 😉 If you like blond-blond—the Salvi’s are now almost white (personally, I think they too white and lack character, but the would certainly not get darker for a very long time. Europe no longer allows a kind of polyurethane (due to environmental issues) and so that is why Salvi maple harps are so white. (per showroom when I was in Chicago doing the tour before buying my 23). btw, if you like bird’s eye maple (which I adore), they have some beautiful bird’s eye in Chicago these days that they are using on special harps. Happy to send you pics of mine!
Here is an ad from 1912—looks like current model. I believe I read that the first 23 was introduced in 1890. Double action harp : “up to $1200”!!
It won’t let me attach pic–so here’s the link!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/353254894977?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3AAQAFAAACMBaobrjLl8XobRIiIML1V4Imu%252Fn%252BzU5L90Z278x5ickkUq2HUzRXIDNJVaaCvHclGVzXq6UW4vXsgxwL0voRrVDJve%252FuHf544T1RzkbmDoV6Mm1aDkf2%252BIuoB1HzT0siQa3mRpgulbabKT5bBuYZ2akkD6%252BavIf8Tkk2y40DB4qbIxYU%252FsRY4NRlEReeHawRDhEVWyIxHKVgrklNuKUPTx%252Fkg8b282a2x3vdP%252FP4vfELaQ%252BW7IESlfFYom1hZP84hQMjsDwLCWk5XY84vAVuLRfkfnIGt4LWZePoLqV48x1jciwsy2ZDkViFckm9mfiTppARsWsn3GFRR7cmCqm9ffaU4LyCWBziI5eGCStpRYBNZ1g0%252BbFVWFolQF4o4cmL6wa5uu4G47wgQyUA%252Fvq27yX4W7una4djIHFpW9R%252B9u32e0zv3nNRh%252FBYSY6Hodr1RZDphEONLetNocZOZx66SpNTpc%252BI%252FZf4YCX%252BaHHzOdVq5ZhQYREz%252Fw7JTmGxxwb1LZV4eJWWwk4D669oP%252BEo6hi1J6Vpee6RtyJCU8VroX1DzeK6DqQiBsi%252Bo33ZgZht1rnjL%252Ft%252BxokuUfy5VabCZYMp1jKcrpm5m%252FOcd%252FIo9375eCAe0SMW6yuWPrwc49jf274D95KoKXJU7YERRADbiJvJNNMLSr72FAYbySuD8V8AOIqsv5Yi7eucIMncMmwDDq5m1D6hY7ozYQOGyQndcY8xXSoUVOMkWp%252BOCM1nco%252Bq%7Ccksum%3A353254894977c1cfd601983145a084bb33473cdbfc70%7Campid%3APL_CLK%7Cclp%3A3268220&chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=353254894977&targetid=1098102009964&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9031645&poi=&campaignid=11774733487&mkgroupid=113829509425&rlsatarget=pla-1098102009964&abcId=9300474&merchantid=6327554&gclid=CjwKCAiAm-2BBhANEiwAe7eyFEY6ywcyrUFyFoNTL2iP0hcGgHynpPqlJNm7WM7buszhnfKtD8CFWBoCuekQAvD_BwEGreat ‘thread’ that you started, Gregg. This shows 1916—the harp looks pretty identical to current harp. L&H could make a great coffee table book of their harps and history!
Last comment—if a 23 sounded like an 85, they would not be the number one selling harp. So, no—do not expect to get an 85 and feel confident that it sounds at all like a 23. A lot more effort goes into making their signature harp. And, a Camac (as mentioned above) will never sound like a L&H or a Salvi—they really have their very own distinct sound and feel.
I owned an 85 and now own a 23 and there is a vast difference between them. There is a reason the 23 is significantly more expensive than an 85 and it is way more than the carving. I did a tour of the L&H factory before buying it, and they did discuss the differences. I don’t agree that students buy what their teacher plays. One teacher plays a 100 and the other a Salvi Minerva. I went for the one that had the sound and feel I wanted. That said, I could play a different 23 and not feel the same. I really wanted an Salvi Iris or a L&H 11–but those did not have the sound or feel that I wanted. It’s a big decision. Good luck!
A first pedal harp is so exciting…congratulations. I had an 85E as my first pedal harp (kept it for 3 years and then got my dream harp a bird’s eye maple L&H 23 that had the exact tone I wanted. I did not know what tone I wanted for my first pedal harp, but I was crystal clear on my second (last?) harp. It might be helpful to understand that an 85E or even an 85CG will not sound like a 30, and a 30 won’t sound like a 100, so do not base your purchase on the sound of your teacher’s harp. Also, know that the Chicago series is essentially L&H’s student harp series–they use less quality wood, cheaper components, and not made with the same craftsmanship et–there is a reason they cost less. A Chicago series will never sound like or feel like a Professional series harp…it’s can’t. That said, I have heard decent sounding Chicago series harps, but understand that they are their low end series. You might find a great used L&H for the amount you are considering spending—people buy harps and then change their minds, etc. Worth looking. I went to the factory in Chicago and played several harps–they truly each have their own sound. I left Chicago without buying a harp–none of them were “the one”. If you want a particular sound and feel, you truly need to play the harp before making the purchase. Michelle Abbot at Vanderbilt harps has a great, slightly used Salvi Iris that sounds more like a L&H than a Salvi—it has incredible sound. Consider contacting her…she ships harps all over the world all the time.
I am an adult learner. I started with a lever harp, and when I took the plunge to pedal harp, I wondered why a teacher had not guided me to do it sooner—it is so much easier. I am not even sure I could play a lever harp (with ease) at this point–pedals are so much easier, and understanding music theory is far more clear on a pedal harp. Enjoy..you’ll never look back!
I have encountered people who tell me that L&H told them that their harp was worth “X”—-I find it hard to believe that L&H would give anyone a figure without even seeing the harp. There is someone in northern CA selling a used L&H 85 XP—and asking $17,500 because she said someone at L&H told her that is what it is worth. It is a 40 string harp with questionable engineering! Also, there are style 15’s that 40+ years old, and people are asking far more than the original price, despite being all original. It is just an odd market.
Carl—my theory about the price of gold harps is that most people don’t want them. I have a dozen harp friends, and not one would choose a gold harp. They seem a bit passe, and of course increased maintenance. Unless you are a true professional, a gold harp seems overdone–and the majority of people buying harps these days seem to be adult learners, students, etc. Merely my opinion.
