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I just bought a 36 string concert oladion in cherry from Magical Strings (Philip Boulding), after trying out many different harps. It has a beautiful tone with a deep, rich bass and nice bright treble. It is an excellent harp for the money, and I also like the way it looks, with its traditional Celtic design. He is also an excellent harpist & musician, and his wife Pam plays the hammer dulcimer in their concerts and recordings. He has been making harps for over 30 years. They also host a harp camp every summer, and he teaches the harp as well. They are wonderful to work with & have great customer service. You can see all their harps on the magical strings web site, along with their CDs and concert schedule.
You’ve probably heard this before, but most teachers will recommend that you learn to play on a larger harp, if possible. Though I’ve never played a lap harp, and am a beginner, I’ve heard that they are more challenging to learn on, because of the extra skill needed to hold it correctly and steadily on your lap. It is also harder to find harp music for the smaller range of strings that lap harps have. Most will also recommend that you rent a harp while you’re taking lessons, and that you learn from a teacher if possible, rather than try to teach yourself. I’ve been taking lessons for just over 3 months and absolutely love the harp. I’ve played many other instruments, and have finally hit on my “dream instrument”. I started off renting a 26 string Dusty Strings Ravenna, but then bought a lightweight 36 string harp (when I saw a used one for a good price) which weighs about 22 lbs. If weight is a concern, there are a number of different 34-36 string harps which are in the roughly 20 lb range. You can even go lighter (~10lbs) with carbon fiber (Heartland) if you want to spend that much. I would recommend at least a 34 string harp to learn on.
