I like Lyon and Healy/Salvi harps better. I’m not a huge fan of camac as I find most of them have a guitar-esque sound than a harp sound but getting a harp the size of a clio is a good idea for a small space. Harps with extended sound boards have a lot more body to their sound and gut strings are always better than nylon. Camacs differ significantly from the other major brands so I’d also recommend figuring out which ones you like best. Don’t buy anything unless you’ve played it. Even pedal harps with the same make/model/year will sound drastically different from each other. I’d encourage you to play as many pedal harps as possible before you buy. If you find you want to ship, buying the box tends to be the most annoyingly expensive part but for shipping itself ALG does a great job. There’s a couple Facebook pages that are really active with buyers/sellers and most harp shops also have Consignment sales. I’d encourage you to look at the used harp market as there are a lot of great options out there. A brand new harp needs to be regulated a year after its bought and then 2 years ish after that no matter what which can be a pain if you don’t live near a harp shop/certified regulator. A lever harp can be left for years and still brought back to playing level by an owner, pedal harps not so much. Pedal harps require more maintenance as the mechanisms are really tricky to work on.
A well maintained harp will hold its value for awhile. Most people get financing for their harps through allegro or the shop they’re buying from. At very least you’re going to want a lever harps with at least 34 strings, 26 is just too small to do anything particularly interesting.
Lyon and healy harp dolly upgrade#
If you’re already looking for an upgrade after I few months I suspect you’ll get bored with just a lever harp. Thanks for your advice! I’m excited about harp but want to be sure I’m being reasonable with this purchase.Īs far as lever vs pedal, it really depends on the difficulty of music you want to play. How did you afford your pedal harp? Do you think financing is worth it? Do harps generally hold their value for resale?Īnyone who has a Clio, do you think it’s a reasonable instrument for someone who lives in a city apartment? Easy enough to move and not too loud for neighbors?
Lyon and healy harp dolly professional#
My main questions are:Īs harpists, do you think a lever harp would be satisfactory in the long term for someone who’s a professional musician? Or is pedal harp usually the standard? I’ve come across what seems like a pretty good deal on a Camac Clio and am trying to decide whether I should just go for it or get a nicer/larger lever harp for now. My issue is I know that if I stick with harp, I’m going to want a pedal harp down the line. I currently have a Ravenna 26 with C and F levers, and am starting to feel ready for an upgrade. I’ve recently gotten into playing the harp and have been taking lessons for a few months. I’m a classically trained pianist with a performance degree, as well as a multi-instrumentalist and certified/practicing music therapist. Hi all! Looking for some advice as I’m considering upgrading my harp.