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This is all very exciting, Lily! Is this Ravenna harp eligible for a rent-to-own program in which you could own the harp after making a certain number of rental payments, in the even that you wanted to keep Mademoiselle Mélanie?
-Gregg
Hi, Lily,
I’ve been using ultrasonic humidifiers in the room where I keep my harps, and I only ever use distilled water in them so as to not build up minerals in the units or on the objects in the room. I have a couple of hygrometers in different areas of the room, and I recently bought an ultrasonic humidifier that has a built-in humidistat for the ability to set the desired target humidity, which my previous units did not have. It’s often so dry in my area that I prefer the 2-gallon models, as they go through water very fast to keep this room within the target humidity range, which I try to keep around 45-55% relative humidity. In doing so, I rarely have to change a broken string, even with so many harps!
By the way, Ravenna harps are made of more economical laminated wood and are therefore not nearly as sensitive to humidity changes as solid-wood harps are, so the room’s humidity level may not be quite as critical for that Ravenna you’ll be renting. If anyone else here has any more thoughts on that, please share!
By the way, as I’ve read somewhere, harps are meant to be looked at and admired when not being played, as opposed to being kept hidden under a dust cover or in a case. I routinely use a Swiffer duster on my harps.
I hope some of this helps!
-Gregg
Lily,
In addition, have you looked at all into the Musicmakers harps, particularly the 38-string Epic model? It has a very different look, but the large soundbox gives it an extra-full sound. Also, MariniMade Harps makes some amazing large lever harps, and three of their models go lower than any other lever harp maker I’ve come across:
-The Regency Robusto 38 goes down to the lowest G of the piano;
-The Roma Bella 40 goes all the way down to the lowest C on the piano (but unfortunately tops out at G, not even the highest note of typical 34-string harps);
-And their largest lever harp model, the Roma Classic 46, goes down to the bottom B of the piano, which is lower than even most pedal harps! That’s such a large harp that it costs what some small pedal harps cost. I get the impression that Marini Made uses medium-tension strings, but I’ve never seen anything on their website about the strings they use.
I just wondered if you’d heard of either of those makers.
-Gregg
Hi, Lily! How very exciting for you to be considering your first harp! I’m a 40 year-old male musician in Texas (mainly organ, piano, and wind instruments) and really started my harp journey around early 2021. I have a growing lever harp collection. For now, my floor harp collection consists of the following models, from smallest to largest:
-Rees Grand Harpsicle (33 strings)
-Rees Brilliant Harpsicle (34 strings)
-Dusty Strings Ravenna 34 (I opted for lever gut strings)
-Preowned Lyon&Healy Troubadour V (36 strings)
-Salvi Gaia 38
-L&H Prelude 40As you can see, I actually have two of the models you mentioned so can provide feedback on those–the D.S. Ravenna 34 and the Salvi Gaia. I love all my harps, but they are all VERY different from one another, which is why I have them!
I really like having the optional lever gut strings in the middle range on my Ravenna instead of the standard nylon strings, as the gut has a prettier sound to my ears while still having a quite bright tone for which Dusty Strings is known, and lever gut strings aren’t quite as tense as pedal-tension gut strings.
On the Salvi Gaia, all the strings ARE pedal strings, but they’re all quite a bit shorter than on pedal harps and larger pre-pedal harps, so I think the tension is slightly less on the Gaia than on, say, my L&H Prelude 40.
I absolutely love my Rees Brilliant Harpsicle, because it sounds very different from my Ravenna and is SO lightweight for a 34-string harp (a mere 15 pounds!). And, unlike the rest of the Harpsicle line, the Brilliant Harpsicle features medium tension and medium string spacing. Until fairly recently, Rees Harps offered the Brilliant in different colors, including white. I wonder if they would make you one in white if you very politely begged! Also, Dusty Strings occasionally uses white on their harps, so I wonder if they would consider making you a white Ravenna 34. Dusty Strings has occasionally painted/stained their concert-line harps, as well, which would include their 36-string models.
As for your fingers/skin, how did you feel trying your teacher’s pedal harp? That’s about as stiff as harp strings can be (not counting wire-strung), so if you felt ok with those strings, I wouldn’t think something like the Gaia would bother you.
When I play my Prelude 40, it makes me feel almost like I’m seated at a pedal harp, which I love!
I hope some of this helps, and I’m happy to answer any other questions you may have about my harps!
Happy harp hunting!
-Gregg
Hi, Jerusha,
The new Style 4 certainly is quite eye-catching; I’ve been quite taken by its visual aesthetic ever since L&H started promoting it! In doing a quick Google search, I see that the VA Harp Center advertises that model to be $70,000.
Hope this helps,
Gregg
Hi, Charles,
Where you mentioned about a string’s overtones sometimes sounding out-of-tune with the string’s fundamental, I thought that was the definition of a “false” string. Does “false” actually refer to something else?
Thanks,
Gregg
Hi, Molly,
I’ll try to post a picture of my Prelude soon. The problem with trying to use the longer crown screws on mine with the bronze crown is that they would stick up even though the crown itself was still flush against the column. The screw heads couldn’t be seen when looking at the harp from a normal angle, but when I got on a step-ladder and looked down inside the crown (which is how I swapped the crowns in the first place), the screw heads could clearly be seen sticking up. I could’ve just left it that way, but I thought it best to just get shorter versions of those screws instead. When using the wooden crown, the longer screws are best, as the wooden crown is much thicker than the bronze crown.
When you mention strings sounding not quite right, are you referring to when the levers are engaged or disengaged? On mine, the top-G sounds maybe a little false and therefore never quite in-tune no matter how I tune it, but I’ve been too lazy to replace it! Also, when levering notes, the levers can impart a bit of falseness into the tone on certain strings. In addition, if the levers aren’t regulated properly, the lever may not be changing the pitch of the string by the proper amount.
I hope this helps!
-Gregg
Hi, Molly,
Congratulations on owning a Prelude 40! Yours is such a nice-looking harp! Mine was built new in October 2020 in natural finish, and I love mine, too! I haven’t tried putting the claw feet on, but I do like having the brass/bronze crown on, though I had to get shorter screws from a local hardware store for it, as the ones that came with the harp were way too long to work with the bronze crown due to the limited depth of how the screw holes were drilled in the top of the column. I also had to fiddle with the orientation of the crown to get it to look reasonably centered, as the screw holes in my bronze crown weren’t drilled in symmetrical locations.
I’m sure you will LOVE having the extra strings like I do!
Happy harping,
Gregg
For a demonstration of the Niebisch and Tree 14-string travel harp, see the YouTube video uploaded by Chiara Pedrazzetti titled “Maintaining your harp technique on holiday!”
-Gregg
Hi, Mocam,
What kind of harp(s) do you normally play, regarding the tension? Pedal, pre-pedal, folk? As for the smaller Harpsicles, unless you were to focus on the higher strings, I wouldn’t think the small Harpsicles would be much help for keeping calluses due to the low string tension in the main playing range. The higher strings, however, might help some since higher strings have more tension.
If you’re wanting something that can make actual music rather than a tennis racket and which has good tension (much stiffer than Harpsicles) but costs less than a Harpsicle, the only thing I know of is the Niebisch and Tree 14-string Troubadour Travel Harp in the UK, which isn’t really a true harp since there’s no soundbox but is really just a simple right-triangle frame, though it definitely has strong string tension; see my first reply above. However, I’m not sure if they will make any more right now, but it wouldn’t hurt to email Nigel Tree to ask; the email address is ntharps (at) outlook (dot) com. For mine, they charged 350 pounds sterling, which was around $480 USD at the time I ordered it earlier this year, plus about $63 in shipping.
Let us know what you end up getting!
-Gregg
I just examined the eyelets on my Prelude 40. I haven’t taken any measurements, but, to my eye, I see 6 different sizes. From the top down, I count 9 of the smallest size, then 6, 6, 6, 3, 3, then dots for the 7 wires, of course.
-Gregg
Victoria, if you can’t get Maruka Music (really harpist Skaila Kanga) to send you a harp racket, and you try to fashion one yourself, just be sure to get a racket which has four knots rather than two, as the four knots indicate that there is one string for the vertical mains and a separate string for the horizontal crosses, as opposed to just one string for the entire racket which only has two knots. If you try to cut, say, the mains out of a racket that only has one total string, the cross strings will start to come undone, as well (I had to learn that the hard way!). The model of racket Skaila uses for the harp racket is a modified Slazenger Smash, though I can’t seem to find one online without paint on the strings. The ones Skaila has used don’t have paint on the strings.
Keep me posted!
-Gregg
I can’t tell if that link went through successfully or not, as I can only see it if I sign in. If it didn’t go through, simply Google “harp racket” and click on the result that is on the Maruka Music website. I don’t believe she’s still offering these, but it can give you an idea of one way to dampen the middle strings that would otherwise buzz.
On the other version she sent, the tension is highest near the handle, and it’s honestly rather floppy/loose in the middle. On the ones I made myself, the strings have paint on them for the logo, which feels weird on my fingers.
-Gregg
If this will allow me to post a link, here is the link to Maruka Music’s “harp racket” version with the threaded ribbon which dampens the sound of the middle strings which would otherwise buzz. She’s not offering it anymore, but this will give you an idea:
http://www.marukamusic.com/harp-racket.html
-Gregg
Hi, Victoria,
I’m so delighted that you’ve asked this question, as this is something that I have been researching quite a bit. I continue to be baffled by the fact that none of the three big pedal harp companies (L&H, Salvi, Camac) offer any travel harps in pedal tension for this purpose. L&H doesn’t even currently offer anything smaller than the Ogden of 34 strings, weighing 28 pounds. Salvi and Camac do offer smaller harps, but the string tension is lower than that of their pedal or pre-pedal harps. I’ve actually ordered a Salvi Gaia which, despite having a whopping 38 strings down to 6A, actually weighs LESS than the L&H Ogden, as the Gaia only weighs about 24 pounds! However, this is still obviously not a true travel-size harp, though it’s the lightest-weight harp in pedal tension that any of those three companies currently offer.
Awhile back, I saw a video posted by Chiara Pedrazzetti on YouTube about this very topic called “Maintaining your harp technique on holiday!”, in which she and a harpist friend of hers (Klara Woskowiak) demonstrate two harps–Chiara’s Camac Bardic (no longer made and which had lower string tension anyway) and Klara’s 14-string “Troubadour Travel Harp” made by Niebisch and Tree in England. The 14-string by Niebisch and Tree is shaped like a simple right-triangle and uses pedal nylon for the strings, and there’s no actual soundbox as it’s just a wooden frame. The resulting sound is soft and is meant purely for one-handed technique practice. The note range is from 1B down to 3C, so the lowest string is the C above middle-C. I actually ordered one earlier this year, though they may not be offering this model right now as they’ve been busy just doing harp repairs, though it wouldn’t hurt to contact them to ask. One interesting thing about the N&T travel harp is that it can fold up, although the string tails would have to be kept annoyingly long in order to have enough length to work with when reassembling the harp, and the tuning and stretching would have to start over each time. Therefore, I’ve chosen to just keep mine assembled and the strings clipped close to the tuning pins as normal. It’s so small even in the assembled state that I don’t see the need to fold it up.
The great thing about the N&T travel harp (if you can convince them to make you one) is that it can theoretically be kept in a very hot car on a summer road trip when going into restaurants, etc, as there aren’t any glued joints. That’s actually one thing that’s great about the fact that it’s made to fold up (even if you never fold it up), as it uses a hinge at the bottom instead of glue, and then it partly relies on the string tension to keep the top of the column secured to the neck (along with little dowels at the top of the column that insert into the underside of the neck), and it also has a lock mechanism to secure that joint, as well. The main drawback of this model is that it’s difficult to do any two-hand work, both because of the extremely limited range and because N&T doesn’t provide any way to play it with a strap. It can be held between the knees/thighs, though that is somewhat uncomfortable, so I mainly just put it on my right knee and hold it with one hand while exercising the other hand on the strings. N&T told me I COULD add guitar straps to it in order to play it with a strap, though I haven’t done this yet.
In that video, Chiara and Klara also mention the cheaper alternative of tennis rackets, in which you cut either the horizontal strings out or cut the vertical ones out, depending on how you would rather hold the racket. I actually experimented with this a few months ago, though you have to make sure to get the type of racket which has one string for the horizontal direction (“crosses”) and a SEPARATE string for the vertical direction (“mains”), as the cheaper rackets only use one string for the entire racket, which doesn’t work for this application. I bought two such rackets and cut the horizontal strings out on one and cut out the verticals on the other. On both of them, the only usable strings were the 5 or so on the outer edges, as the ones closer to the middle end up buzzing annoyingly. I also found a purpose-modified tennis racket for harpists modified by Maruka Music in England which are configured in such a way as to eliminate the buzzing in the middle strings; I ordered two of these from her earlier this year. The strings for plucking in this model are the horizontal ones (“crosses,” which become vertical once the racket handle is positioned under the armpit). She has used two methods for eliminating the buzzing–the cheaper method of keeping one vertical (“main”) string on each edge (which is the type she sent me), and the more elaborate method of weaving ribbon through the middle strings on one edge. She said she would make me a couple of the type with the ribbon woven through the strings, though she’s been so busy that she hasn’t had time. Unfortunately, she said I would be the last customer to whom she would sell these. Of course, any sort of tennis racket solution is a little annoying to listen to, as there’s no way to pitch the strings, and the ones modified by Maruka Music don’t have much actual pitch anyway, though the stringing actually uses a Bow Brand nylon string whose gauge is apparently close to that of 4D on pedal harps.
I recently learned of two or three more travel harp models which are great for pedal harpists to keep their fingers in shape. One is a “Sprite” model made by John Pratt of Pratt Harps in Utah, which has 22 strings from 1C down to 4C (middle-C), and it features pedal gut strings for the bottom 10 strings (through the top of octave 3) and then pedal nylon for the top 12 strings (octave 2 on up). I’ve actually been in touch with him about making me one. It apparently weighs around 13-14 pounds (depending on wood choice) and is supplied with a guitar strap and lap bar.
The other is the “Saul” model by Aoyama of Japan, which is available in 25 and 29 strings and apparently weighs less than 9 pounds! However, while it is apparently of higher tension than most folk harps, I get the impression that it’s still not up to pedal or pre-pedal tension. It uses some sort of nylon stringing for the entire range, and Morley Harps in the UK (one of the Aoyama dealers) shows “lever nylon” in the string chart for the entire range, even though Morley Harps also indicates that the tension is “medium-high,” so I’m confused as to what the actual tension is. The spacing, however, is apparently on the wider side in order to more closely match the string spacing of pedal harps. There are Aoyama dealers in both the US and Canada; I contacted the US dealer, but I was told that he isn’t importing new Aoyama harps right now due to considerable shipping difficulty from Japan. I emailed the Canadian dealer but haven’t heard back.
I asked Dusty Strings awhile back if they would ever consider making a 26-string version of the pedal-tension Boulevard model, just like how they offer a 26-string version of the Ravenna model. While DS isn’t particularly interested in the idea, I did learn from them about a harp technician by the name of Mike Lewis who apparently makes a high-tension 23-string travel harp, but I haven’t had any luck with Mike in actually making any this year, and he is presently moving his shop.
For now, I’m mainly intrigued by the Pratt “Sprite” model, as it’s the ONLY non-floor travel harp model I’ve found which uses true pedal-tension stringing, including pedal gut up through the 3rd octave. John Pratt also says he’s been designing a 26-string version down to 4F, but he hasn’t made any prototypes yet. All of his harp models use pedal harp stringing, though he doesn’t currently offer anything between the tiny Sprite and the 36-string models.
I’m sure Balfour Knight will contribute suggestions for maintaining calluses which don’t involve any sort of string-plucking, such as emery boards and aloe vera gel, though I’m not sure if that would allow you to KEEP the calluses while not playing. Maybe he can clarify that for us.
Please keep us updated on whether you decide to pursue any of the above options (or if you learn of yet something else!). I’ll be happy to provide a review of the Pratt “Sprite” if I end up ordering one. John Pratt estimated roughly 3 months to make one.
-Gregg Bailey
