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I too agree that some music suits one harp better than another, and music which is well written for one instrument may not fit another without (or even with) transcription. What I disagree with is lumping classical onto one and folk onto another.
Deb, I disagree with your view about harps being classical or folk – I think you are doing a disservice to the variety of music and instruments out there.
The Pilgrim Clarsach doesn’t quite fit your bill- it has pedal harp strings and tension but the design prompt was apparently to make it easy for a pedal harpist (Derek Bell in fact) to ‘move down’.
If your harp is quite new try to return it for a refund – harps should not crack.
If you move the lever up it will not sharpen the string enough- it will sound out of tune when engaged.
Anja,
If you buy a new pedal harp from any of the known makers the main thing you will need to worry about is whether you like it.I did up to grade 6 (ABRSM) on a 41 string pedal harp and almost all the practice for 7; I don’t remember any harp specifications in those days.
If you are staying in Chicago would L&H let you practice in their showroom?
Wasn’t it Dan Yu who had never owned her own harp until she won the Bloomington competition?
The odd flutter might be the start of a serious gambling problem, which is a bad thing for any musical instrument.
As Barbara says, find a teacher before you find a harp – some teachers have hire harps, and many have definite ideas about what sort of harps they would like their students to have.
That said, if you are confident assembling one yourself you might also want to be aware of the smartwood harp kit.
