Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
I think the thing to keep in mind regarding product quality from China is that the company that is outsourcing to China for the products still has final say over the quality.
The reason so many Chinese made products turn out to be problematic to out right defective is that the companies paying the Chinese to produce the product are willing to accept substandard products for cheaper prices.
The Chinese are perfectly capable of producing high quality products, but too many companies are willing to accept the substandard products to save even more money.
So to me ultimately the question isn’t if the product was made in China. The question is how much do you trust the company that has outsourced production of something to China? Because ultimately if it is made in China or not, Lyon and Healy is responsible for the end product. They will either ensure that the parts or products they outsource to China are of high enough quality or they will not.
Of course as others have mentioned there are other issues with outsourcing to China such as their labor policies. But in terms of quality of the product we shouldn’t forget that the responsibility for quality lies in the company who’s name goes on the product.
It has always been my understanding that when it comes to instruments, particularly wood instruments, the rule of thumb is that what is comfortable for a person is what is comfortable for the instrument.
If it is cold or hot enough for you to feel uncomfortable then it probably isn’t the best environment for a harp.
The few harps I have heard made of it had very clear and bright tones without being brittle sounding. That combined with the way the wood looks makes for a winning combination.
I have a few wood pieces made out of it, and I have a copper press print of Maui framed in it. It is just a beautiful wood.
It depends in what way, looks or sound?
Since pedal harps are mostly made from maple and veneered with other woods the final veneer doesn’t have that much of an effect on the sound and is primarily cosmetic. In that case I like Cherry and Ebony.
For lever harps where the many of them are made from the solid wood which has a greater effect on the sound I like Cherry and Black Walnut, but most of all I like Koa. Unfortunately Koa wood is hard to get these days so I don’t think too many harp makers are producing lever harps out of Koa anymore.
I play solo or with a small ensemble, Jazz and contemporary, and do mostly my own arrangements. So for me a small harp is fine because I can pretty much handle the music any way I wish, can alter anything that would otherwise be a problem, and can more easily transport the instrument.
The upper register is a little tight and requires a great deal of precision for placing in the right hand, but not so much of an issue that I consider it a problem.
I would not hesitate to recommend it if you were going to be in a position to change to a different harp later on if necessary. As Tacy said, it is hard to know what you will need down the road right now.
If you really need a harp that will be the last one you buy then I would recommend saving up a little longer and perhaps buying used. There are some decently priced concert and semi grands. Not inexpensive, but not outrageous. Perhaps a used Camac Athena? They are great harps in my opinion and all things considered rather reasonably priced.
Or perhaps you can find a rent to own program where you can at least try the harp out as a rental for a while and then if you like it have the option to buy after a while.
Well, my Welsh isn’t all that great, but if I recall that means ‘The Dimpled Cheek’.
Explaining the pronunciation is a bit tricky. Particularly the first word. That double ‘l’ is an aspirated L. You say it by forming the mouth and tongue the way you would to say an L, but you just kind gently blow around the tongue without actually saying anything.
The closest most English speakers can get is to say it like an L with a th before it. The W is pronounced kind of like oo
So something like Toothl un ay boch (the ch in ‘boch’ is like in the Scottish ‘Loch’).
I don’t think the height is a problem. I am just under 178 cm and I have no problem with the height.
Honestly, if you are intending to use this harp professionally for classical music I really would go for a Concert Grand, or at least a Semi Grand. Unless you will always be in a situation where you can choose your music or alter it if necessary.
Otherwise you eventually are going to come into situations where you are going to need those notes and will miss them.
A 44 string harp can play most repertoire. But most is a relative term and it is find until that time you need to play something it can’t handle.
Nothing to add to Barbara’s excellent advice other than to just reassure you that this does, indeed, happen to a lot of us.
I memorize easily, and my teacher knew this. She would often make me stop and then start at a random measure just to see if I was really playing from the page or if I were playing from memory and just faking reading it as I played.
So you are not alone.
I have one and it is a great harp which suites my particular needs perfectly.
However if your goal is to become a professional harpist who plays classical repertoire and you want a harp that will suite all your needs from now on without having to buy another later then I recommend against such a small harp.
It’s great for some things, but it isn’t going to cut it in an orchestra or playing the full extend of classical harp repertoire.
So if you want a harp that will be useful for a professional, classical harpist then go for a full concert grand.
Well, since you sent me the story of the whole adventure on Facebook it would be cheating for me to guess at your questions, so I will just say once more Congratulations.
It is a beautiful harp.
I think that even if we put aside the issue of reducing employment for second harpists, the fact is that if a piece was composed for a specific set of instruments by altering that you are altering the composer’s work.
I was always taught that ultimately the orchestra is there to bring the composer’s vision to life. You can’t do that if you make major alterations to it and start mixing it up to suite your own needs.
Serve the music. That should be the musicians motto. You don’t do that by messing with the composer’s vision.
