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Looking for Lever Harp Feedback
Hello all! I am reaching out to see if anyone has experience playing a Salvi Titan, Mia or a L&H Drake?
I played the lever harp, rather casually, almost a decade ago. Now, I am hoping to take it up again, and my 6-year-old daughter has expressed significant interest in learning as well. We are hoping to invest in an instrument the two of us can enjoy. There are new harps on the market now, and I don’t have anywhere locally where I can try many options in person. Most options need to be ordered in from the manufacturer. Some have very long lead times (6-12 months) so I am trying to stick to options that are readily available.
The three options ready to ship are as mentioned above – the Drake, Titan, and Mia.
The aesthetic and the range (38 strings vs 34) of the Titan appeal to me. But I have listened to so many videos of it being played and the sound seems somehow… metallic. Buzzy. It seems like it could be rich, but somehow falls short and it not as warm as I expect it to be. I want to love it, but the sound always seems a little off to me. Has anyone had firsthand experience who can speak to the quality and nature of the sound? I understand every instrument is different and I don’t know which strings these various Titans were strung with.
The Drake is a little brighter than I prefer, and I would be happier with a couple more strings, but I do have a positive overall impression of the sound. It seems clear and resonant.
The Mia is the least appealing aesthetically, but the sound does seem nice and also seems less “buzzy.” I like the sound with gut strings and find the biocarbon strings make it sound more like the Drake. The one available has silkgut strings.
I wanted to consider the L&H Ogden and Salvi Una, but the lead times are VERY long for both of those. I had a Ravenna years ago. I liked it quite well, but was not in deep love. I would like to try something different. I did love my DS FH36S, but it is also not a readily available option.
If anyone has insight they can share or other models they want to recommend, I am all ears! There don’t seem to be Camac vendors in my region. Thank-you all! -
5 Replies
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Hi Christy, I do have a L&H Drake but it’s the only big harp I have ever played so I can’t really compare it to other harps. I can tell you that I love the Drake. It has a nice sound and the string tension is not so high. That was one of the main reasons why I bought the Drake. The harp is not too big and good to handle.
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Hi Christy! I listened to a few Salvi lever harp in a student recital and I wasn’t impressed with their sound. It lacks depth somehow, and I didn’t like that it is fixed height (I was going to share the harp with my young kids so all of us need to be able to use the harp somehow). Even though Salvi lever harps would be the easy option for me to obtain, I ended up ordering a Dusty Strings Crescendo 34 with Camac levers and waited three months for it. The Crescendo costs more than the Mia or the Titan, but it is infinitely more satisfying to listen to in my opinion.
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Christina, I am happy to hear you have had a positive experience with the Drake! The ease of portability is nice. And the lighter/moderate string tension would possibly make it a little easier for my daughter as she starts out. My previous harps were strung in nylon and also had more light-moderate string tension. I am not sure what it feels like to play with pedal tension gut strings.
Titia.stultitia, I appreciate the honest perspective. I think you are probably right that I may like but not love a lot of the more moderately priced student options available. From their website, it looks like my local music shop rents some instruments, but not the more expensive ones. I know they only have 3 harps on the floor: a DS Ravenna 34, Harpsicle Grand 33, and a L&H Prelude 40. I will inquire about harp rentals anyway. It would be especially wonderful if the rental fees could be allocated towards a future purchase, but I am not sure they offer that on harps.
Something about the Ravenna aesthetic does not overly appeal to me. I think I grew frustrated with mine quickly because, having the 26 string model and partial levers, I could not play a lot of the music I wanted to. Perhaps that frustration tainted my opinion of it. I am not sure that I can find fault with its sound. Listening to videos now, I think the sound is great for an entry-level harp! It is clear and bright. Not as warm and robust as my FH36S, but certainly even and pleasant. I should probably give it some reconsideration, especially considering it is easily available.
Victoria, I am grateful for your feedback as well. I’m afraid you and titia.sultitia have confirmed my suspicions that I may ultimately be displeased with the sound of the Salvi Titan and possibly the Mia. Certainly, I was less impressed with their sound (the Titan especially) when listening to audio clips.
I could try to save for a FH36S again, or possibly a Crescendo. I do love their sound. Warm, round, clear, bright, and not metallic or tinny. I thought the sound was very bold and full. It was a good height and comfortable tk sit and play at. I would have to make sure the rental fees on another harp are reasonable in the meanwhile. The only place I know that rents locally for sure is Aoyama harps. I have not played one before. The other harp I adore the sound of is the Lyon and Healy Prelude 40. It seems so rich, resonant, robust, and warm. There is even one available in my favorite finish (ebony) at the local music shop where I can get financing! No backorders, shipping or anything! However, at 60% more than the price of the student models I am looking at, I wouldn’t be able to finance it realistically unless I could get a longer finance term (which may or may not be possible).
I think I have to decide if I am content to get an entry-level harp for the time being because it fits my budget or if I will ultimately be frustrated and discouraged by the adequate, but less impressive sound. If I can accept one of these student models as a stepping stone, that may be okay for now. I can plan to upgrade when my skills improve, and I have had more time to save money. It is a hard call, though. I WANT to be enticed and encouraged by the sound of my instrument. Renting and saving longer could be the way to go.
You have all given me a lot to think about. I really appreciate the time you have taken to engage in this conversation and help me come to an informed decision.
-ChristyChristina, I am happy to hear you have had a positive experience with the Drake! The ease of portability is nice. And the lighter/moderate string tension would possibly make it a little easier for my daughter as she starts out. My previous harps were strung in nylon and also had more light-moderate string tension. I am not sure what it feels like to play with pedal tension gut strings.
Titia.stultitia, I appreciate the honest perspective. I think you are probably right that I may like but not love a lot of the more moderately priced student options available. From their website, it looks like my local music shop rents some instruments, but not the more expensive ones. I know they only have 3 harps on the floor: a DS Ravenna 34, Harpsicle Grand 33, and a L&H Prelude 40. I will inquire about harp rentals anyway. It would be especially wonderful if the rental fees could be allocated towards a future purchase, but I am not sure they offer that on harps.
Something about the Ravenna aesthetic does not overly appeal to me. I think I grew frustrated with mine quickly because, having the 26 string model and partial levers, I could not play a lot of the music I wanted to. Perhaps that frustration tainted my opinion of it. I am not sure that I can find fault with its sound. Listening to videos now, I think the sound is great for an entry-level harp! It is clear and bright. Not as warm and robust as my FH36S, but certainly even and pleasant. I should probably give it some reconsideration, especially considering it is easily available.
Victoria, I am grateful for your feedback as well. I’m afraid you and titia.sultitia have confirmed my suspicions that I may ultimately be displeased with the sound of the Salvi Titan and possibly the Mia. Certainly, I was less impressed with their sound (the Titan especially) when listening to audio clips.
I could try to save for a FH36S again, or possibly a Crescendo. I do love their sound. Warm, round, clear, bright, and not metallic or tinny. I thought the sound was very bold and full. It was a good height and comfortable tk sit and play at. I would have to make sure the rental fees on another harp are reasonable in the meanwhile. The only place I know that rents locally for sure is Aoyama harps. I have not played one before. The other harp I adore the sound of is the Lyon and Healy Prelude 40. It seems so rich, resonant, robust, and warm. There is even one available in my favorite finish (ebony) at the local music shop where I can get financing! No backorders, shipping or anything! However, at 60% more than the price of the student models I am looking at, I wouldn’t be able to finance it realistically unless I could get a longer finance term (which may or may not be possible).
I think I have to decide if I am content to get an entry-level harp for the time being because it fits my budget or if I will ultimately be frustrated and discouraged by the adequate, but less impressive sound. If I can accept one of these student models as a stepping stone, that may be okay for now. I can plan to upgrade when my skills improve, and I have had more time to save money. It is a hard call, though. I WANT to be enticed and encouraged by the sound of my instrument. Renting and saving longer could be the way to go.
You have all given me a lot to think about. I really appreciate the time you have taken to engage in this conversation and help me come to an informed decision.
-Christy
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Have you tried the L&H Troubadour? It’s less than the Prelude. My teacher prefers the Troubadour because the levers are more difficult to reach on the Prelude. I also prefer the richer sounds rather than the “bright” sounds of some harps; and I love my Troubadour VI.
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Hi Laura,
I have not had an opportunity to try the Troubador. It sounds lovely online and I have heard another person say theirs has a bit fuller sound than the Prelude. It looks like new Troubadors are backordered, and I can’t find any used ones in my region. I did find a 4 year old used Prelude 40 for almost half of the new price! When the weather warms up, the store will be shipping it to my local shop so I can try it out and see if it is right for us. I can see how those bottom levers would be hard to reach for sure.
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