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That’s a good question. A piano is just like a harp…each one will have a different sound, even within a brand.
I wouldn’t recommend a Steinway. They are specifically designed as a solo instrument, to have an incredibly brilliant tone, and to an extent, will override the harp’s dynamics (even a L&H 23). Steinways are generally tuned ever so slightly flat in the bass and sharp from middle C upwards to give it the famous crystal-clear sound.
I would also recommend avoiding Yamaha, as they tend to have a bright (occasionally harsh) sound that would also compete with your harp. Yamaha pianos are known to sometimes lose their tune faster than others, due to the construction/wood.
Mason and Hamlin pianos have a very even and beautifully warm tone across the entire keyboard. They have a special steel support in the frame (called the crown retention system) that will greatly diminish the bowing of the soundboard over time. As my piano teacher said, “Mason and Hamlin will be the kind of piano that will last a lifetime. You’ll end up passing it on to your children.”
Young Chang makes a very good piano as well. Slightly more bright from my experience. My teacher has a Knabe that she took everywhere when she gave concerts around the South. It has lasted so well over the many years; in my own opinion the bass on hers is slightly weak, but overall, it’s a good choice as well.
I’ve never had the blessing of playing a Bosendorfer, but know that they are an excellent, quite historic Viennese piano. The largest model actually has a extended keyboard, 97 keys.
Tayce, from what I can tell they do sound fine. It isn’t really a big deal; the only reason I asked was to make sure there were no problems and that I was taking good enough care of them. At the rate my Troub eats strings…
Thanks for your helpful advice, Tayce, Saul and Natalie! I really appreciate the advice and feedback.
Also, what would your recommendation be for a better nylon string? Maybe the Vanderbilt strings are just fine and I happened to get a dud…or a lot of duds? Hmm.
Very funny.
Seriously though, I keep a dust cover on the harp any time I’m not playing it; would light exposure really turn them colors that easily?
Ben, I have had a Troubadour VI for a couple years and I love it. Personally, I can’t think of a lever harp that I would trade my Troub for, due to the beautiful sound, hardy construction, string tension and general appearance.
Yes, as Deb said, it does eat strings. Put it in a stable environment and you will minimize that problem. Mine was stored in a large room with varied temps, and that stressed it. I moved it to a more stable room and it’s done well.
I have had buzzing levers on my Troub (and it’s the newest model), but like Deb mentioned, regulating should deal with that.
Happy harp-hunting!
You might be right regarding coordinators managing their budgets differently, especially if the group contacted you first regarding music; if it was their intention to have music then they should find some way of paying you. You are a harpist (a business owner) that has to make money too.
However, I play for weddings and events, and frankly, in my own small town I found it to be in my best interest to play for many non-profit-organization events. When doing those events (especially local ones) and marketing via business cards/brochures, I became much more well-known in my community, which was what I wanted, since I am trying to increase the number of events that I play at.
Actually, I even like to keep track of events that are approaching in the near future around my area by reading the local newspaper and “community happenings” magazines; then I make some calls to determine the event coordinators and book from there.
I don’t know what your calendar looks like, but if I had a fairly-full schedule, then personally, I would be cautious about taking events that weren’t paying.
Sorry for the ignorant question…You mentioned rubbing a gut string back and forth on the eyelet. I have wire and nylon; would that work as well as your gut string method?
So it’s safe for me to do that with my Troub VI? At nearly forty pounds, it would be more comfortable to carry it that way, since I don’t use a dolly cart.
or possibly sand an eyelet…
How does that work? Would I simply do that with a plain-old piece of sandpaper from the toolbox? I’m assuming that files the “sharp” edges of an eyelet.
I have the same problem with my strings, as I have a Troub VI. Mine always break at the eyelets.
Thanks for the advice, Donna! I think I will be taking it in soon to get it regulated.
On another note (no pun intended), how do you like your Prelude?
Barbara – I am just a hop and a skip from the Atlanta Harp Center and someone’s coming to regulate harps this week, I think. I could have him take a look at it.
In your own opinion, what are the best levers for a harp to have? Is is worthwhile to have a harp’s levers changed, or is it really not that big of a deal, in the long run, to keep the performance levers?
I think faster than the normal wear and tear that comes with playing levers. Some of the levers that are not used quite as frequently sound like the actual string is being pinched more than normal when I raise a lever, sort of like a slicing sound. But that’s not the case with every lever.
Shelby, I couldn’t help you on a mic that does both flute and harp because my knowledge of the flute and its requirements are extremely limited.
However, for the purpose of recording for family and friends, I have used the Fishman SBT-HP (made for piano and harp). I bought it for $119, a little more than you might be willing to spend. If you were to sell your CD’s then I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this microphone for recording purposes, just due to the fact that the closer a mic is to the harp the more “twangy” it will sound(the SBT-HP attaches directly onto the harp’s soundboard with the assistance of some adhesive). Of course, you may like a slightly more twangy sound than I do; that’s just my personal preference.
On the other hand, for the purposes of recording for family and friends, it would be just fine. As I am just learning the best ways to record, and how to effectively manipulate my recording software, I made a CD recently (my first!)for two purposes. One, so I could actively get my feet wet with the recording process, and two, because my widely-spread family wanted to hear what my harp sounded like (hey, it made a great mother’s day gift!).
Maybe someone more knowledgeable could give you some advice on a “multi-purpose” mic?
I personally recorded a CD in my home and I enjoyed the challenge. I am learning how to record with Cubase Studio 4. It’s on the pricier side of recording software, plus I’m completely new to the recording process, so mine wasn’t the quality of something I’d sell, but it just takes practice to create good music.
As to advice, something I’ve come away with regarding home recording is to make sure you have a decent microphone set of some kind. I used a Fishman SBT-HP transducer, and while it works very well for plugging into an amplifier, because of its close location on my harp (attaching directly to the soundbox) it gives a highly twangy, sharp sound, not too pleasant for recording purposes.
My dad and I have spoken with a film composer and a sound engineer, and we’ve gotten varying responses as to microphone placement, so its something you’ll just have to fiddle with, should you desire to record in your home.
The benefit with going to a studio is, obviously, you have someone to basically do everything for you except play the instrument. On the other hand, you will be paying for the studio time, any mixing, the mastering, CD artwork and anything else that might come up. If you record at a studio, ask if they have any experience with recording a harp. I need not say that the harp is a very different instrument with different requirements when “setting up” in the studio.
It took me five and a half hours to record ten tracks on my own. I am not proficient at recording by any means, but quite frankly, I don’t honestly see how anyone could record ten tracks in less than three hours, professional studio or not. Keep that in mind if you think about hiring a studio, because they will usually charge by the hour, though from the studios near my location, they were fairly low-priced. Hope this helps you! Please let us know if you decide to make a CD!
