Heartland Harps

[tonie-ogimachi]

Has anyone tried to contact Heartland Harps lately?  I have been trying to communicate with them via email and phone, but have not had any response for at least couple of weeks.

• This topic was modified 7 years ago by tonie-ogimachi.

[lyle-laturno]

Got a response from him a couple weeks  back.

Following the response have heard nothing.  He was to have been sending things but nothing came to repair my harp.

When purchasing had difficulty getting order/ship information.  He had been ill then apparently.

Lyle

 

 

[tonie-ogimachi]

Thank you, Lyle!  I finally heard back from  them yesterday. It seems like they might need an office assistant to handle phone calls and emails.

Hopefully you’ll also hear back soon.

[tonie-ogimachi]

Hi Lyle,

Did you ever get any response on what you needed to repair your harp? Or are you still waiting?

[lyle-laturno]

David, president, and Christian, new to the company, came to our home to repair my harp Sunday May 21, 2017. Top most C string had snapped twice. The next day they worked on another of their harps in town. Once finished they drove to another southern Minnesota home to provide personal service for one of their harps. Having constructed the instruments, they provided very good work on my harp.
Also found them both extremely enjoyable to have around. Seemed to have solved the problem of the snapping C string by its total replacement.
Had I purchased the wood lever harp most desired, it would have weighed forty pounds. The 38 string carbon fiber harp (weighs twelve pounds) in carry ability more than compensates for the upper register sound difference. Therefore taking my harp anywhere is not much of a problem! Have also found the carbon fiber keeps me from tuning strings much less often than wood.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by lyle-laturno.

[tonie-ogimachi]

I’m glad to hear that this has been resolved for you. I have a Heartland Infinity. Consistent email or phone communication with Heartland has been challenging for me over the years. Dave was indeed great when he came out to visit in California a few years ago, but I’m still waiting for a resolution to a repair/warranty issue. I’m just wondering if other Heartland owners have had similar experiences. I’m in the midst of moving to a remote area next month, so I was hoping to have the issue resolved before then. I trust that the issue will be resolved eventually.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 11 months ago by tonie-ogimachi.

[lyle-laturno]

As mentioned have the 38 string Delight. Got it with full lighting and an amp pickup. Did not go the paint route as that added to much extra care when transporting. Believe the paint helps mellow the upper register sound.
Concerned though about your experience with a warranty issue. Not a positive for the company!
Perhaps too small a shop to have a staff able to deal with all problems? Mine too was a warranty issue.

[tonie-ogimachi]

Yes, I think the lack of email response is the bigger issue. I saw some improvement a couple of weeks ago, when when they arranged for me to have the harp shipped back to them. I was subsequently hoping for some communication about the progress of all that. But once again, my queries about the progress have gone unanswered for quite some time. Now, through Facebook, I have noticed that Heartland is on the road again, so I don’t know if anyone is tending the shop in Dave’s absence, or what the revised timeline for the shipping of the harp will be. I kept thinking that maybe I had the wrong contact information, but now I’ve learned that others have had similar communication issues. I’m hesitant to publicly go into all the details, as I think the harps are a good design, and Dave is a good guy. I just see the need for improvement on the communication end of things. Again, I’m relieved to hear that your issue has been resolved.

[lyle-laturno]

Please, will you email me personally?
heysailor1@hbci.com
Would like to share more with you.
thanks, Lyle

[David Kitamura]

If you folks don’t mind sharing, what was the issue you had with these harps to require warranty service? I only just recently caught wind of this harp line and their features and innovation are certainly attractive even at the price premium. It would be good to know going into it any issues that may arise that aren’t just standard fare for harps, especially since they have a nice warranty attached.

[tonie-ogimachi]

Hi David,

I’m in Southeast Alaska with intermittent internet access. You can email me at tonieogi@me.com.

Best regards,
Tonie

[lyle-laturno]

Heartland Harps is a rather small outfit contrasted to the huge Lyon & Healy. Therefore its office size is nowhere near the six story L & H toured awhile back. Regardless the weight of Heartland instruments is a major factor in their purchase. Add to that stability of the carbon fiber material and one can avoid tuning as much as with wood. Leaving in your car and not having the instrument collapse is another advantage. LED lights top of the strings make it more easily playable in dim lighted environments. Follow the string up to the lever for key changes as they are not lighted. Plug ins for an amp are nice if needed.
All of the above counter the disadvantage of limited harmonics in the upper register. Painting seems to help that a bit but makes for more weight and a less durable finish than the straight carbon fiber. Adds LOTS of cost too! I like the “ebony” appearance of the straight carbon fiber color. The case is very protective and thick….well made! Would buy it again!
Lyle

[jsmoir]

May 2021 update:

Does ANYONE know ANYTHING about what is going on w/Heartland Harps?

I’ve read everything from broken promises, to excellent service, to six month delays on refunds for harps never made, to rave reviews of their CF Pedal harp, to ‘out of business.’ Yet the website is still up, and though their last blog entry was in 2019, new instruments have appeared since then- namely, a double strung harp that is very rea$onable!

Yet, their phone mailbox is constantly full, and visits to the shop are ‘by appointment only.’

I’ve even tried contacting Pam Bruner, as I loved her self-teaching books when I was first starting out, and wanted to compliment her, but she never responded.

I am going to start a Harp Therapy program soon, and wanted to get a CF harp to use for that, even with the HH cost differential. But if there is a problem with HH, I think harpists all over the USA should know it. It’s a great idea, and I’d be sad to learn that they are out of business….

[susan-koskelin]

Would love to know if there are any Starlight owners in Texas, Louisiana, or Oklahoma. Am interested in buying one and want to hear it in person.

[Gretchen Cover]

Definitely try before you buy. I tried one when it first came out. It sounded dreadful. Even changing from nylon strings to gut did not help. It is unbalanced. I think it’s ugly, too. For much less money you can buy a real harp with a good sound.

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