Jolie vs Ballad vs Crescendo

[Laura Bunch]

I wonder if you’re hearing the difference between gut strings and nylon strings. I have a L&H Troubadour and love the smooth sound of gut strings over nylon. I cannot compare to the others you mentioned, but only the difference from my previous harp, a Fullsicle, and my new smaller harp, the Marini Made Bass Lap harp; both of these have nylon. (I also wonder if the L& H had L&H levers, not Camac…)

[SHELLEY Olds]

Oh, you are probably correct that the L&H harp had their own brand of levers. It also had a few gut strings in the lower (not lowest) register. Wow, that was a treat too. I now have questions about gut vs nylon, maybe in a new thread.

[Nicole Steiman]

What a great question! I’m currently renting a harp and have the same price range in mind for buying. I noticed Musicmakers has theirs 15% off right now but I would need to buy without trying. In California, they don’t sell them at the harp stores, predominantly Dusty Strings. It would be so nice to compare them.

[Elizabeth Dexter]

I miss the Lyon and Healy showroom in Santa Monica. I was able to try their lever harps. I fell I love with the Una but didn’t need the 38 strings. I really liked the levers. There is a Camac show room in Pasedena. From my understanding the gut strings are higher tension. I really loved the biocarbon strings on some of the Salvi and L and H harps and the Una had special silk gut strings

[Linda Fitak]

Wow! There used to be a Lyon and Healy showroom in Santa Monica? I lived in Santa Monica for many years, but I was not playing harp back then, and I never saw that showroom. Where exactly was it located? I wish it were still there now. I do plan to visit the Pasadena showroom soon. They have many harp models there. I love the Salvi Una, and I think they might have some of those in that showroom.