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You may also want to check with Sharon Thormahlen directly about this. When I was looking to buy a Thormahlen, she matched me up with several previous customers in my geographical area so I could go and test their harps.
And yes, they are wonderful harps…, I highly recommend them!
Jennifer: When I tried the Camacs, I too found the throw to be very long and the big, bulky handles awkward to handle.
I am sure a lot it is what one is used to. My first harp came with Truitts and I never had any issues with them. They are easy to engage and will not alter the tone. Some harp makers paint little red and blue dots on the handles of the C and F strings. Certainly an easy thing to do, if somebody feels visually challenged seeing the handles.
That said, I can also see where somebody who is used to Camacs, and doesn’t mind their appearance, may prefer sticking with them.
Yes, there have been several threats on levers on this forum during the last few months and the opinions very greatly! My personal opinion is….
- Loveland: Outdated. It is my understanding that even Dusty is starting to move away from them. They are made out of plastic, which makes them easily breakable. They’ve been around for a long time and most harp makers have moved away from them.
- Camacs: Popular and good quality levers, sturdy,good functionality and easy to regulate. A popular choice amongst many harp makers, especially since they are relatively cheap too. They are however, very ugly, huge, metally looking (looks like a set of orthodentures on your harp) and are, in my opinion, an eye sore!
- Truitts: Similar good quality as the Camacs, will not alter the tone and they look beautiful on the harp (like harp jewelry). The gold plating keeps them tarnish free. A low profile lever with excellent functionality and well worth the extra money.
Heartland Harps uses Truitt levers standard on all of their harps. Thormahlen, uses Camacs as their standard lever, but will install Truitts for an upcharge (which is what I did on my Swan). I believe that from a production perspective, most harp makers prefer to stick with a certain lever, since their production process is setup for it. And since Camacs are good quality and affordable levers, it makes sense that they are the first choice for many harp makers.
If you are simply looking for a good lever quality, not matter how they look on your harp, I believe you will be happy
BRAVO…BRAVO…BRAVO, Christian, on all three videoclips!
My vote is to leave them all on YouTube. They are spectacular to watch and an inspiration for all of us!
Michaela
These look indeed very interesting…,wouldn’t mind hearing one myself. I can’t really tell whether or not these are electric harps. I am also not familiar with electric harps in general. So these are “plug-in” harps like a electric guitar?
Thanks very much for everybody’s input! Special thanks to Heba for sharing her IHTP experience in a long personal email and to Cynthy, for spending tons of time with me on the phone educating me about the various harp therapy programs.
I believe I have all the info I need to make a decision. Thanks!
Michaela
Yes, it is a big decision, but I really believe if you take your time, do your homework and follow your gut feeling, you will end up with the right harp! As for being able to play them, I think that is VERY important. Call the harp makers (Hearland, Thormahlen etc.) and ask them if they can match you up with somebody near you that has one of their harps. That’s what I did! I live on the California Central Coast with no harp store anywhere near around me. I ended up taking a 90 minute drive to San Jose one day to play and test drive somebody’s Swan. It is important that you do that and the harp makers do realize that and will do their best to match you up with somebody!
In my own personal opinion, going with a smaller harp craftsman is the way to go! What you will end up is a truly unique instrument rather than buying one of the floor from a harp store that
Hi Carol,
My personal suggestion is to follow your gut feeling and also, take your time to make a decision!
My personal harp journey began almost two years ago. All my life I had an admiration for the harp, but never considered myself musically talented. So, unlike you, I started out with no
Wow! Exquisite…, moving…, tasteful…, beautiful…., a real treat for the eyes and the ears! Your talent is truly admirable, Christian, thanks for sharing it with the world!
I look forward to more videos!
Michaela
Just beautiful, Christian! Congratulations to you and whoever took this video, which is of superb quality!. I love your natural expressions while playing…, you bring a lot of feeling into your music. What a gift!
Just wondering about one thing: Are you playing the harp while standing up?
Michaela
Good for you, Debbie! Jeff Lewis is a great luthier…, my small harp is a Nightingale in cherry and like you, I find the sound to die for! It’s
Hi Julie,
I strongly agree with everything Karen stated above. When I read about your long-term musical background, my first reaction was that you may find a 26 string harp very limiting, so I too would encourage you to buy as many strings as you can possibly afford! I started out on a 27 string lapharp with hardly any musical background. About 1 year later I added a 36 string floorharp and it is just amazing how much more music you can play on a full size harp. I still absolutely love my lapharp, but I have to make a lot of adjustments to the music in order to be able to play it with 27 strings.Heartland makes lovely harps and their trade-in program is definitely worth considering if you want to start with a budget harp. You also might want to check out Thormahlen Harps (http://www.thorharp.com) and their 36 string Serenade beginner model. It’s a wonderful sounding harp. There are many fabulous independent harp makers out there, who will sell directly to you (rather than through a retailer).
Also, don’t be afraid to look at used harps. There are tons of them out there and you may find a professional quality harp in great condiiton that is in your budget.
Michaela
Hi Michael,
I sent a message to the builder a few weels back, inquiring about availability and pricing for this model in Koa (I am almost afraid to find out how much it would be…, it probably cost a fortune). Never heard back. In addition to the tilt function, I am also wondering about how sturdy it is and whether or not it would hold a binders worth of sheet music. I will write them again…, we’ll see if I get a response.I just love the way this stands looks…, so different from the rest of them out there and I think it would look way cool next to my Thormahlen Koa Swan….
Michaela
Hi Michaeal,
I too was looking at the different styles a while back to. I’d love to find a contemporary looking stand…, something that looks truly different and this one caught my eye:
Isn’t it amazing???
Michaela
Hi Nat,
I can confirm your experience in that the Cherry Nightingale has a warm tone (not too bright) and is quite resonant.
I imagine Jeff told you that Cherry darkens in time. My got my harp in February 2008 and it looks quite different now in that the wood tone has changed to a darker, rich tone. It’s a very beautiful looking harp.
Sounds like you are making progress. I hope Jeff will be able to match you up with somebody who has one, so you can see and play it first hand!
Michaela
