Need help finding a harp on a budget!

[Natalya Zarraga]

Hi everyone! I’ve been researching harps for a month or so, since I recently have decided (I was always interested, though) that I really want to take up the harp – lever harp, specifically. I’m already a self-taught pianist and singer-songwriter and am currently learning guitar. A harp would be such a wonderful addition to my small collection of instruments (mostly used, haha). I would really like to get good enough to take it to shows at some point, and record and write original music on it as well as play many genres like folk, rock (Harptallica, anyone? :P), and some pop music.

Unfortunately I am not very well-off (yay for being a poor college student), and my budget is around $1000. I really want to try to get a harp for under that, or around it if I have no other option. I’m probably going to teach myself since there’s a good chance I can’t afford lessons, and if I find enough resources I’ll probably be okay on my own for a while. I’ve thought about renting, but that option still seems kind of mystifying.

I have learned a lot, but this search still proves to be very baffling. I do know that I want a harp that’s at LEAST 26 strings (but I would prefer more), has some kind of lever configuration or the ability to add levers later with the holes pre-drilled or something, and has good bass range. Lower notes are really important to me. I’m used to pounding on the lower registers of the piano and it would be hard to not go any lower than the C below middle C.

I was quite interested in Paraguayan harps due to their often low cost and unique sound and design, but the biggest problem is that if I want one with levers, I’d have to pay a LOT more than $1000 (I’ve recently emailed Gustavo Arias from Paraguayanharps.com and he told me there’s no real option to put levers on the lower cost harps), so I don’t think I could afford one at this point. I really like them, but being a pianist with an interest in progressive rock and other styles, it would be hard for me to reconcile either sticking to two keys (C major and A minor) or taking up time to re-tune between songs. If I could make it work, that would be great, but I don’t know.

I’ve thought about one of the Harpsicles (probably a Flatsicle), but I’ve heard lap harps aren’t that good for beginners (is playing with a guitar strap that bad?), and again it’s the 26 string thing, but I don’t know. I’ve also looked at Blevins discounts, but there aren’t really any in my price range. But maybe someone can point me towards a good deal I didn’t notice! Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of everything a harp has to come with…

I’m also considering a Smart Harp, with an impressively low price for the amount of strings (I guess it’s because of the gatorboard soundbox that it’s so cheap). Maybe this shouldn’t be a big factor, but they’re perhaps not the prettiest harps out there, but I suppose it would be great to start on since it’ll take me time to get decent anyways. Does anyone have any thoughts on the Smart Harp, or has anyone tried one? I’ve seen some posts but it’s still a pretty new instrument. It would probably be the most inexpensive of my options. My father-in-law would probably not have much trouble putting it together with me.

I’ve also heard a lot of the Dusty Strings Ravenna, and it seems nice, but again, 26 strings is not a lot, and if I want levers it’s more expensive. I know there’s a 34 string model but that’s already over my budget.

Then there’s the other Musicmaker’s harp I’m considering, the Voyageur. That one’s REALLY pushing my budget, but it seems really good if I’m willing to stretch.

There’s also David Field’s harps (http://www.fieldsystem.com/defield/), which have a pretty good price. I’m looking at mostly the 30 string and 34 string models. He only charges $10 for each Loveland lever (cheaper than at other places I’ve seen…), so getting at least partial levers would be less expensive.

Wow, I’m sorry this is so long! It’s just the results of my research, I guess… In any case, I’m still very much new to this, so I will need all the help I can get! I will appreciate it so much. 🙂

Thanks,

Natalya

[holly-bowron-hainley]

Natalya:

Have you considered rent-to-buy?

[Natalya Zarraga]

Thanks for the insight, Holly! 🙂

Last night a nice lady from Yahoo Harplist referred me to some eBay listings on good used harps (I have no issue with used musical instruments; all of mine are used, even my recording interface), and the one that really fascinated me the most is this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=120552877222&Category=16223&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26its%3DI%26otn%3D1#ht_2692wt_939. If that link doesn’t work, the item number is: 120552877222

I did some research on this older model (a Triplett Briggs with 34 strings and blade levers) and asked the seller (a music store in Louisville, KY that specializes in used gear) some questions. I would have to pick it up around mid-May since I live in Miami, FL and will be in Tennessee in the summer (four hour drive, but it’ll be worth it), and the seller was willing to hold it for me until then. The harp comes with a tuning key, replacement strings, and a manual. I sent Triplett an e-mail earlier today asking about this specific harp and got a very encouraging response from Deb. She told me it did have some structural damage (a slight lift in one board in the soundboard and a crack around the soundhole area in the back), but it wasn’t really a problem. Here’s the message from her copy-pasted:

“Dear Natalya,

Playing the harp is so much fun! This harp could sound like a million bucks! It does have some structural damage, but it is also probably about 28 years old. The soundboard could stay like that for years and so could the back of the harp. It has old blade levers and yes, we can make a case for the harp. I would buy it as long as you can get it under $1000.00. Good luck! Deb”

Some more good news: the harp is going for $599 OBO. So you can imagine my excitement, especially at receiving Deb Triplett’s approval. As long as I can learn to replace the strings (it is missing a couple), regulate the levers, and nurse it to perfect health, I think this will be a rare, wonderful opportunity for me.

So, thoughts? I’m very much leaning towards this particular harp and will happily accept second opinions as I let this one marinate. Thanks!

[andy-b]

Another option might be this Lyon & Healy folk harp, which is $300 without levers.

http://www.lyonhealycpo.com/info/product/Folk-Harp-1414.htm

I can’t say if Lyon & Healy would add levers for a per-lever charge, but it wouldn’t hurt to call them up and ask. I’ve bought several harps from them over the years, and have always found their customer service to be excellent.

Hope this helps give you another option to consider,

Andy

[Natalya Zarraga]

Oh, wow. That’s an extraordinary price for a L&H harp. Seems like a rare deal too, judging from the other ones on the page. I could also consider that one. However, since that price doesn’t include shipping and it doesn’t come with levers, I fear how much it would cost me in total for the harp… How much would it really cost me to get the L&H harp, including shipping to either FL or TN and a set of levers or at least a partial set? I don’t need to get really expensive levers. As long as the levers sound good and aren’t too difficult to deal with I’m happy. It looks like it once had levers but they were removed. How would it work if I wanted to have them (or myself) install levers?

The Triplett Briggs I referred to in my other post would be picked-up, so that’s zero shipping charge, and it has levers. The L&H harp is an attractive deal, too, though.

Hmm. Tough. I don’t know. What does everyone else think?

[Kate Hopkins]

I looked at the harp from L&H too. My concern is that the base end of the neck seems to be pulling over or separating from the column. It would need to be fixed, and may be why the levers were removed, with the odd angle I am not sure levers would engage properly. It is being sold as is, a rarity from L&H’s cpo.

[dawn-penland]

You’ll find lots of options.

[Natalya Zarraga]

Well, I e-mailed L&H earlier today, so hopefully they’ll answer my questions really soon. That issue about the neck separating does seem a bit complicated – it turns me away just a little bit. I wonder how that would be fixed, and how much it would cost.

I’ve thought about renting, and it seems like a good idea, but I’m not sure if it’s right for me. I’m still learning towards the Triplett harp I linked to in an earlier post. I really think it’s a great deal and once I fix a couple of things, I could be very happy with it. The seller is willing to let me have it for $550 and hold it for me until May – I’d just have to pay a $200 deposit through PayPal and pay the rest before I go pick it up.

I’d like to know, what does everyone think about this particular harp, the Briggs? I’m pretty close to deciding on that one, so thoughts on it would be great.

[Kate Hopkins]

There are also a few harps around your budget listed here in the classifieds, even a troubadour I at $1100.

[Karen Johns]

The Triplett looks like a good harp, but I’m a little concerned about the crack going across the soundboard. Not being an expert on spruce soundboards, I’m not sure if this is a structural or merely cosmetic issue. It looks cosmetic, which is good, but the fact that it appears to go all the way across gives me pause. Anyone else have a more experienced opinion to add?

Oh, oof, just read the above more thoroughly- it is structural. hmmm….not sure if I would chance it, but for the price? hmmmmm….but then again, to repair it should the soundboard “blow” would probably be more than it’s worth. Thoughts?

As far as the harp kits go, I’ve built the Voyageur, Limerick, and Smart Harp models from Musicmakers. PM me if you want more details- I’m probably sounding like a broken record here on this subject, but I can say without a doubt these harps were the best choice I could have made for the money I had to spend. I’m also on a very tight budget so I can sympathize. If you want to hear them, I can also direct you to soundclips.

Best of luck with your hunt!

Karen

[dawn-penland]

There is a Gothic harp kit for sale on Craigslist in Boulder CO.

[tonya-a]

I have a fully-levered Gothic harp that my father made me from a MusicMakers kit about 20 years ago, and it is just a beautiful with a lovely tone now as when he built it.

[holly-bowron-hainley]

Tonya-

Per your comment above–

“I have the Gothic

[Natalya Zarraga]

Okay, so I haven’t posted about this in a while, so here’s an update!

Well, as you might have seen from my earlier posts, I was pretty set on a Triplett Briggs 34 I saw on eBay, and I was going to pay the deposit for it (the seller told me to let them know that day), but I couldn’t get to it until later in the night since I was at class all day, and as it turns out, they rejected my deposit because apparently just that day after all this time of the harp sitting there, someone went in and bought the harp and paid in full. So you can imagine how disappointed/irked that made me. My second choice was that Lyon & Healy Folk Harp they briefly had on their CPO website, but literally right after that episode with the Triplett, I went to check and it was gone too. So you can imagine how baffled I was at this. I had also posted this thread at Yahoo Harplist, and some people responded to me and thought (like me) that someone had seen my posts and bought the harps from underneath to snatch them before I could. And I thought I was just being paranoid in suspecting that at first, haha.

So, after all that drama, I found something better. I won a 29 string, fully-levered Stoney End Lorraine harp for only $710. It is in excellent condition, came with a case, replacement strings, a tuner, and a tuning key. As I type this it is currently on its way to me and should arrive at my dorm at University of Miami on Thursday, May 6th. I also ordered Sylvia Woods’s “Teach Yourself To Play the Folk Harp,” which came in the mail today. I can’t wait to finally start learning! Yay! Thanks for your help, everyone.

The seller thinks the levers are Camac, but she wasn’t sure since there wasn’t any coding on them. I guess I’ll see for myself when the harp gets here. I’ll take pictures! 😀

[jennifer-buehler]

Stoney End has Loveland levers as their standard lever.

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