Carbon Fiber Harps

[Affeltranger@att.net]

I am considering the Heartland Legend. Would appreciate pros and cons (I know light weight) from anyone who has had one a year or more. Comments about nylon vs. flurocarbon strings also appreciated. How is tuning? I am accustomed to threaded tuning pins and have heard they are not on this harp. I currently play a Dusty FS36 but as I age, it does get heavier! Thanks.

[Allison Stevick]

I have had a Heartland Delight for 2 years now, and I really love it. It is exactly what I need in a full-size celtic harp.

Pros: light weight, durable (I do a lot of outdoor playing so I need it to be impervious to weather), holds tune very well, sweet tone overall, clear bass, elegant black look, Truitt levers are great (easy to see, smooth action, no strain on strings)

Cons: sometimes you do have to stabilize it with your knees because of the light weight, slightly different tone than a wooden harp
(Those are not really cons to me, but are things that some people do consider to be negative)

The tuning pins are through pins, so they are held in place by friction. I personally like them better than threaded pins. I feel like they are easier to fine-tune with than threaded, but that may be my imagination.

I have nylon strings, and am satisfied with them. I’ve never tried fluorocarbon though, so I have no comparison.

OK, I just now realized you probably want someone who actually has the *Legend* model, and not just a carbon fiber harp. Sorry if this isn’t helpful to you.

If you have any chance to play one for yourself, that would obviously help you choose. Something that Dave Woodworth has done in the past (at least once, with me) is to connect potential buyers with previous customers who live nearish to each other. He emailed me once, saying there was someone a few hours from me who wanted to try out a Delight before deciding to buy, and asked if he could give her my email. I said yes, and a few weeks later she brought her harp to my house and we both spent time playing both harps to compare. She played an FH36 in walnut, which she loved, but I think she decided to buy a carbon fiber because of the clarity in the bass (we both thought the mid-range and treble were very similar between the two harps), and the portability. Maybe he can facilitate something like that for you if there are any carbon fiber owners in your area.

[Affeltranger@att.net]

Thank you. Your comments are helpful. Never thought of the “stabilization issue” but feel I could deal with it. Sharon

[erin-wood]

I do not own a heartland harp, but have played on one. The curved back is very different and would take some getting used to. It seemed to me that because you don’t pull the harp back, the position makes it so you play very close to the soundboard in the upper range with the RH. I definitely wouldn’t buy one without trying it out and being sure you are comfortable with it.

[Allison Stevick]

Glad I could help some. 🙂 There are some other threads in the forum about the carbon fiber harps that may be helpful, if you haven’t already seen them.

In regards to the soundboard: Luckily, the Legend is their model with a straight soundboard, so the curve wouldn’t be an issue! 🙂 I do find that my Delight is just a couple inches too big for me to be comfortable in some chairs, but I find ways to compensate for it.

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