PREMIER harp strings

[Sylvia]

Is anyone using them? How are they?
I had a bad experience with BB 5A…twice…they are so stiff, it’s like trying to put a knot in cardboard….and one broke when I put it on. The replacement one was even harder to get a knot. I worked about 20 minutes on the knot, and then the string was all frayed around it. Sending back to LH. I am going to try the Premier, and I would like to hear from anyone who has experience with that brand.
Thank you.

[catherine-rogers]

I put all Premier strings on one of my harps last year and they are very good. They are long lasting, and you get extra length in the 3rd and 2nd octaves. Only downside is they are expensive, but with the extra length maybe it comes out similar in the long run.

[karen]

I like them. Though, I must say I found the lengths a bit ‘stingy’ in the thicker strings….JUST enough to make it from top to bottom.
They do seem to be lasting so that is a major plus. AND, the folks at the Virginia Harp Center are so lovely, I am happy to do business with them.

[Sid Humphreys]

I’ve been using Premier strings for two years now. Normally, I restring every year but this year I only replaced the top 2 octaves. (those are nylon anyway). Haven’t had but one gut break in all this time. I’ll be sticking with Premier!

[Sylvia]

Thanks for the input. Sid, I’m wondering which gut broke. The strings I’m fighting about are the 5th A & B….they last for years, and the BB were clearly from the bad batch. BB should have had a recall on all strings from that batch because they knew they were bad.

[andy-b]

I highly recommend buying one octave only – say, the third – and trying them first. While the overwhelming majority love them and report them excellent, there are exceptions. I switched my Camac EX to them last year, and they sounded horrible. I left them on six months to see if they’d improve –
sadly, they didn’t, and I had to buy a whole new set of another brand (went back to Bow Brand!). On my particular harp, they were much less warm, and much less resonant. Every harp is different, so give ’em a try.

[Sylvia]

Personally, I just want a string down there. It’ll blend in, I’m sure.

[Gretchen Cover]

Andy, have you considered trying Vanderbilt gut? I used them for years before being discontinued. Now, Michelle Abbott, the new owner of Vanderbilt Music, has brought them back. Premier on my Salvi grands are spectacular. I cannot say enough good things about the sound. However, I did not notice a big sound difference on my LH17. Others have said similar comments about Premier on their LH23s. I will most likely try the Vanderbilt gut when l next restring the 17. I am going to make a before and after recording. The string difference was dramatic on my Salvi’s.

[Sylvia]

I would love to get Vanderbilt, but when I wanted to order, they said they no longer take checks. I’m from that other century….cash or check.

[andy-b]

Hi, Gretchen,
I have used the Vanderbilt years ago, and liked them, but that was a different harp. I may try them again next time I need to restring!

[Sylvia]

Sid,
Which gut broke? Was it from wear or was it defective?
My concern is the 5th octave…A & B.
Those are the ones I am getting.
Thanks.

[Sylvia]

I got my Premier 5B and 5A.
I put on the 5A, and I completely agree with the assessment that someone wrote on the Forum. There is not enough length, and I wrote to Atlanta Harp Center about it.
You have to have enough length to hold onto the string while putting it thru the hole at the top and bringing it under the string.
I have a LH15, and I told AHC that anyone with a large harp probably would not have enough length to wind the string. They really need to correct that problem.
Otherwise, so far, the string seems to be OK.
5th octave A and B guts are always hard to tie, just because they are so thick.
I suggested that some string company could offer pre-knotted single-length strings. I certainly would buy them. Wires are easy to put on because you don’t have to tie a knot.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

When the string finish cracks as you are tying a knot in it, it does not mean it is defective. You have to be careful how you bend it and not to pull it too tight. As long as it is not cracked above the sounding board, the string is fine. But the cracking issue is why I suggested, years ago, to try making white strings, as I noticed the black and red strings were much more supple. So, those of you who enjoy Concedo strings now, you can thank me. I have never tried them, though. I remain a loyal Bow Brand customer. Their gut strings last longer than they ever used to, even longer than my nylon strings do, nowadays. As far as I know, they are long past the temporary problem they had with their supplier. I would never pay higher prices, or I would get Pirastro gut strings. I find all the string dealers to be very fine to deal with.

[Sylvia]

The Bow Brand problem is still there in the big guts. They last so long that they don’t get replaced as often, so that inventory is still there. That would explain the two bad ones I got.

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