What should I pay for a used Salvi Nicoletta 36 strings

[Wil]

I don’t know about prices for second hand harps in Norway, but I think this harp would probably cost 700 – 1000 euro in the Netherlands. The Salvi Nicoletta was a student model and still has the old click clack levers. Beware of the high costs of a set of suitable new strings and of regulation of the levers (it’s no use having old strings regulated).

Do you have any idea what to look for as to possible structural problems of the harp? Do you have a teacher that would be willing to have a look at it?

In your case, especially in these covid times, I would be tempted to have a look at thomann.de which is a large musical instruments business in Germany with a good reputation for service. I bought an L&H Prelude from them (and several other products).

Thomann ships instruments from 4000 kr to 30 kg free to Norway. In your case, you do have to pay for customs costs, though. It’s 30 days money back guarantee (but after 2 weeks you will have to pay the returning shipping costs back as you live outside Germany). And you got 3 years guarantee from Thomann.

Thomann sells Lyon & Healy and Salvi harps (and some pakistani harps with non-pakistani names, but forget about them). Have a look at their prices and mail their help desk with all your questions (forget the chatting option, only use the e-mail).

Of course, the best way to select a harp is to try before you buy, but I guess, you could perhaps come to the Netherlands then where we have a great harp shop with lots of different harps to choose from: de Zingende Snaar in Rhenen. If you found the harp of your dreams there, you could have it sent at your own costs to Norway. Unfortunately they don’t have Camac harps any more (and I’m a great fan of Camac harps).

Which model of harp have you been playing until now?

[Ingrid Kittelsen]

Thank you so much for all the information. I live in Oslo and have to drive for 5 hours to look at the Nicoletta, so I have to do it without my teacher. And i have no clue what is a good buy or not! Now I am renting a harp from the music school, they bought a pakistani harp from thomann. The music school have a camac harp. Its a huge different to play on the camac harp, so I know I want a quality harp.

I am not sure what regulation is: if a string break i can replace it, but that is not regulation? Regulation has something to do with the strings and levers and maybe only technicians can regulate?

Is the set of new strings more expensive for the Nicoletta than other new harps models?

[Victoria Johnson]

Hi @ingrid.kittelsen ! I was harp shopping a little while ago, and I found it so hard to compare harp prices from one country to another because of availability, taxes and customs, shipping cost, and many more other reasons. For example, I live in west coast of Canada and I can get a Dusty Strings harp at very close to manufacturer retail price because we have a local seller who can import and deliver them to my area. Whereas my harp friends in UK are founding Dusty Strings harp a lot more expensive because of the overhead for even the shops to import the harps to the UK.

In terms of the price, I would compare it to harps that are available in your area. Like Will said, the Nicoletta is a student model. Generally speaking they are not as “solid” as professional lever harps. I would look at how much it would cost to get a brand new Salvi student lever harps in Norway (https://www.salviharps.com/collections-harps/student-lever-harps/) as a baseline to see if this 15 year old harp is reasonably priced in comparison.

In terms of how well the harp has aged or not paged, there are a couple of things to look out for:

(and I will use this chart to refer to the different parts of the harp that I will mention https://manufacturing.dustystrings.com/harps/about-harps/woods-anatomy)

1) Is the neck / harmonic curve nice and straight? You can stand at the back of the harp behind the soundbox to check.

2) Is the pillar straight?

3) How is the T-brace area holding up? That can be a problem area for many cheaper harps and often require reinforcing.

4) The area where the soundboard and the neck joint together is called the knee or shoulder (it is not illustrated in the chart from Dusty Strings but it is in this one: https://www.harp-school.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/pedal-harp-scheme-parts-diag-990×1024.jpg). Is it show sign of moving or swaying? This is another problem area in older harps.

5) What’s the condition of the levers and tuning pins over all? Can you flip the levers smoothly? Are the tuning pins staying put?

6) What is the condition of the soundboard? Does it show excessive or unusually bellying?

7) Are there any cracks in the wood? If so, where?

8) Can you buy replacement strings easily? You can probably send an email to Salvi and ask for a string chart and ask them for recommendation of which brand of strings to use on this harp.

9) Along the same line of #8, can you buy other replacement parts such as levers and tuning pins if you have to?

I am sure this is not a complete list, thought they are the main things that came to my mind when I reflected on my recent pre-own harp shopping experience. When I brought my first harp, I decided to buy brand new because I was new to the instrument and I had very little knowledge on how to maintain and repair a harp. I also brought from somewhere that I can get the harp serviced easily so that I can get help if I had to. When I brought the second harp, I had a lot more experience dealing with harps and also more support from people owning the same brand of harp I was about to buy, so I ended up purchasing a 15 year old used harp.

I hope this has been helpful! And good luck with finding a harp! 🙂

[Ingrid Kittelsen]

wow, thank you! Now i have printed out the charts and I will use your checklist. Thats great 🙂

It is so complicated to understand the pricing and what model to buy and from where to buy (exchange rate, sales tax, shipping, not my first language!). So it is very tempting just to buy the Nicoletta..

But it is a lot of money for the Nicoletta, and I really want a harp that i can have for a long time. And there is no guarantee with the Nicoletta.

If I go for a new one, I have to save money for a longer time, but maybe it is worth it…I will anyways go and look at the Nicoletta on Saturday so you checklist will come in handy.

[Wil]

@victoria.johnson gave you a lot of valuable information, @ingrid.kittelsen

Frankly, I think saving longer for a harp with less risks and for a better price, will be worth it. There’s nothing wrong with a well cared for second hand harp which you can get for a suitable price, but I am not sure the current one you are thinking of would make you happy in the longer run.

[Wil]

@Ingrid Kittelsen, I mentioned the price of strings in order to help you get a better idea about what a second hand harp would cost you including additional costs like new strings and regulation.

I just had a look at the cost of a set of salvi nicoletta strings: https://www.harp.com/product/nicoletta-complete-set-of-36-strings/ (and on top of that price there will be the cost of VAT and shipping costs etc): https://www.harp.com/product/nicoletta-complete-set-of-36-strings/

As far as gut strings are used, these are lever gut strings, so not as pricey as pedal gut strings. And these are kind of normal prices. Beware though that gut strings don’t last as long as e.g. carbon strings (like you find on the very nice two harpmodels of Camac Isolde or the Camac Excalibur (I’ve got an Excalibur too). Some new harps come with silk gut (a kind of nylon substitute for gut) or bio carbon. These strings are significantly cheaper and last longer, but that’s a whole different story (and sound).

Regulation is to make the levers make half tones sound not false or fuzzy when they are engaged. If the harp has not been regulated for long, count for 2 hours work of a harp technician who in the Netherlands would ask about 70 euro per hour (usually regulation takes 90 to 120 minutes).

Harp levers sometimes need regulation, because in the course of time the soundboard comes a bit up, the neck may warp a bit and also the prolonged heavy tension on engaged levers may cause a need for regulation. Yes, in theory you could try and regulate levers yourselves as there are tutorials on the internet for Camac levers and Loveland levers, but not for old Salvi levers, and yes, they function differently (one of my harps is an old Salvi Heather with old Salvi levers and my old evers don’t have a screw to regulate how light or how heavy lever flipping goes. I know that some a bit less old Salvi levers do have such screws, but none the less, these are old fashioned levers of which I am not fond).

I’m shy of the old Salvi levers on the Nicoletta, especially as you said that two were broken. I wonder how they came broken. Did the harp fall? I would never buy a harp that I knew that had fallen, because of possible structural problems which are invisible now, but will manifest themselves later on. I also wonder how the broken levers were fixed. As the old ones are hard to come by, they may have put different levers on them, which may look funny between the others.

As to the pictures, I didn’t get a good sight of the soundboard (are there thin vertical lines to see that later on may become cracks?), I also didn’t get a good sight of the neck and the knee, which are very important to get a first impression of its condition.

You mention Camac harps. Yes, these are great harps and I would mail Camac France and ask if they have plans to go on tour with their harps again and visit Norway (or perhaps Sweden?), or that they have other ideas how you could see them in real life. They also regularly have 2nd hand harps that they have checked and they send them all over Europe (and possibly also to Scandinavia). You would also get some guarantee on them.

I could find somewhere a really detailed checklist with a lot of details to look at when checking a second hand harp, but frankly, I guess it will be hard to get the seller sell the harp for about half the price she had in mind…

I think your first question to yourself would be: what kind of sound do you prefer, a lever harp that sounds more or less like a pedal harp (and so has pedal gut string tension, or a harp that sounds more celtic? The Salvi Nicoletta with its lever gut strings would sound somewhere in between.

By the way, it rather common practice that a teacher helps the student finding a suitable harp. Your teacher may at least have some practical ideas about the best way for you to get a nice harp of your own. She may also think you’d best wait until you’ve played for one year or so, in order to better be able to know what kind of harp you are looking for in terms of string tension, sound etc. etc.

Just curious, which Camac model did you play on at your music school? Does it have nylon or gut strings? Or perhaps carbon strings?

[Ingrid Kittelsen]

This is so helpful for me. I am very grateful for all the information and reflections. I am writing down all the things I have to ask and check for.

I do not know what camac model I tried at the music school, but I will ask my teacher. That is smart to know! My teacher have recommended a camac for me. But I do not have the money for a camac, so I have to save for a while. There are few quality harps for sale here in Norway, the Nicoletta is the first I have seen for sale. I have been looking for one year. My gut feeling is to save for as long as it takes. But then I get impatient and maybe the Nicoletta is a good deal.. I will anyways look at the harp on Saturday, and maybe i can bargain it down. I have a lot to think about now.

[Victoria Johnson]

Choosing between a used harp at your price range that you have access to and saving up for a newer / better harp is not an easy decision! I can see where you are coming from. I really wanted a brand new Camac harp when I was looking for my first harp. Unfortunately there is no dealer locally and any Camac harp I buy will requite shipping and import taxes which would bring the cost of the harp substantially higher. Would your teacher be able to point you to other sources of harps? My teacher was immensely helpful when I was searching for my second harp. If you would like to go for the Nicoletta, would your teacher be able to take a look at it for you and give you some perspectives on its condition and maintenance prospect?

Another thought on second hand harp is perhaps buy one through a reputable harp shops. I didn’t want a private sale when I was looking for a used harp because I want a harp technician to look over the harp and give me an honest evaluation of the harp. I also wanted to make sure the harp would be packed and shipped properly. Zingende Snaar in the Netherlands, for example, sell second hand harps. Even though you have to pay shipping and maybe VATs, you will at least have more options to choose from. A lot of harp shops can regulate and restrung second hand harps before they sell it so that would extend the time before you have to service the harp.

I agree with @wil.weten on regulation. Is it possible for you to regulate the harp that you are going to purchase, either by yourself to having a harp technician to do it? It is difficult to access a harp technician where I live, so I have the current generation of Camac levers in my first harp because there are plenty of information on how to regulate them over the internet.

In many ways, a harp that you can get and play is the best option if the Nicoletta is what you can afford and it is in reasonable condition. Though you may still want to continue to save up some harp money for a better harp later down the road or for maintenance work on the Nicoletta.

[Ingrid Kittelsen]

I live in Oslo and the Nicoletta is a 5 hours drive to the south, so I am all alone about the decision to buy or not. But I feel more confident i will make the right decision with so much good help from you. Zingende Snaar sounds very interesting, I will definitely check that out.

[Wil]

@ingrid.kittelsen Perhaps your teacher is willing to ask her netwerk if someone has a second hand Camac harp for sale. You could also ask de Zingende Snaar in the Netherlands to mail you if a second hand Camac harp is in her shop. All second hand harps of the Zingende Snaar have been checked and regulated. De Zingende Snaar has been sending harps all over the world for many years already.

You may not have the money for a new Camac, but there are lots of second hand Camacs on the market that would fit your budget. They usually get resold pretty quick as they are rather popular, but I’m sure there will be a nice chance for you some day to get such a harp.

Frankly, I think that if you go for the Nicoletta, you will always keep dreaming of a Camac harp.

Here: https://www.harpspectrum.org/harpworks/buying_a_used_harp.shtml a link with some additional helpful checking information, even if the information in it is mainly meant for pedal harps, the text you find under the caption Examining the Harp is useful for lever harps too.

[Wil]

In addition, @ingrid.kittelsen in your first post in this thread you wrote that you would have to pay 25% sales tax and shipping. Do you mean VAT by ‘sales tax’? If you buy from let’s say Thomann, the VAT is already within the price. You would only have to pay extra for the customs tax. In my country there is a rate of 21% VAT, so the prices for Norway will be a bit higher than on the page for the Netherlands, as in Norway the standard VAT rate is 25%. As Norway has a special relation with the EU and Germany is part of the EU, you wouldn’t have to pay import tax, only the customs tax and you wouldn’t have to pay for shipping to Norway as Thomann pays for the shipping as the product is above a certain price.

I agree with the suggestion of @Victoria Johnson to have a look at the prices of new student Salvi harps to have some comparison. In my country there is a rate of 21% VAT, so the prices for Norway will be a bit higher than on the page for the Netherlands,

The cheapest Salvi is the 34 strung Salvi Mia and with a cherry finish, it costs 2111 euro. On top of that you would need to pay customs tax, which is usually between 3 and 6 % (you can look that up how much it would be for the harp). Suppose it is 6 procent, that would make in 2238 euro (of course, it’s a bit more, as I see the prices for the Netherlands which include not 25 but 21% tax and I’m not sure if prices partly depend on the country).

Yes, the Nicoletta has 36 strings, but the lowest is still the C two octaves below middle C and you will seldom or never use the two highest. You could, of course, compare it to the Salvi Titan (2699 euro) which has 38 strings and which, like the Nicoletta, comes with lever gut strings, but it has an additional low A and a low B.

So, now let’s compare the Nicoletta with the Mia. If the Nicoletta of 1570 euro with hasn’t been regulated less than 5 years ago, it will probably need a regulation, so that would cost you 150 euro plus the cost of a new set of strings (regulation of old strings is useless), which will be around 350 euro .

A string set for the Salvi Mia (34 strings) with silk gut (so not the (nicer) lever gut the Nicoletta is strung with) would cost 269 euro, a string set for the Salvi Titan (38 strings, but the Nicoletta doesn’t have a low A and B) would cost with lever gut 369 euro (you can order all the strings one by one, so you don’t end up with 2 pricy strings you can’t use, but these prices give you some idea of the cost of strings. Now, lets do a simple calculation: 1570 for the harp plus 150 for the regulation plus 350 for the strings is 2070 euro. This would make the old Nicoletta just 168 euro less than a brand new harp of 2238 euro (including 6% customs tax).

Now, this is not meant for you to have a look at new student Salvi harps. Just to get you an idea of new student harp Salvi prices which may help you while negotiating a suitable price for the Nicoletta (if you really can’t wait for a Camac harp).

[Ingrid Kittelsen]

Yes, by sales tax I meant VAT. This is not something I understand much of, so very nice with some explanation, thanx. About the number of strings, everything between 34 and 40 is okay with me. Thats great, the comparison and calculation, I am taking notes 🙂

[Ingrid Kittelsen]

And import tax is the same as VAT?

[Wil]

@ingrid.kittelsen No, import tax is something different from VAT and from customs tax. Norway isn’t part of the EU, but due to a special arrangement with the EU, customers don’t have to pay import tax when importing from the EU. You do have to pay customs tax, though. I think that when you buy from Thomann the VAT for your country is included (as it is for the Netherlands), but I can’t reach the page for your country, so you need to check yourself and or ask Thomann to confirm this.

Now, after Brexit, importing the same harp from the UK or from one of the EU-countries, would make importing the harp from the UK much pricier.

As far as I know, Thomann is the only one that would be shipping to and, if you don’t like the instrument, from you, for free, otherwise, you would have to pay a significant amount of money for the shipping too.

Unfortunately, they don’t sell Camac harps… Though they do sell Lyon &Healy harps. Maybe you’d like the L&H Ogden (34 strings). It does have pedal gut tension, so really strong string tension. Christy-Lyn plays one. Unfortunately, the prices of the Ogden have risen steeply since 2 years. Yet, it would still be an affordable quality harp, if you like its sound and very strong string tension.

De Zingende Snaar doesn’t sell new Camac harps any more, unfortunately, as Camac decided one shop in the Netherlands with Camac harps would be enough. But they regularly get Camac harps second hand in the shop. They also sell a lot of other nice harps.

There is one Camac shop in Rotterdam (in the Netherlands), which is easily accessible to reach by train. Unfortunately, they don’t ship harps. But, as it is a so-called ‘flagship’ shop, they always have at least 1 harp of every model in stock. They sometimes also have second hand harps. Anyway, you would have to arrange the shipping yourself, and frankly, I would never do that, as any damage would be at my cost.

There’s a shop in Dublin, Ireland (also EU) that does ship harps internationally and also sells Camac harps: Muzikkon, but they charge both for shipping and returns, so that would cost you extra and I’m not sure if their prices would include the VAT of your country. Perhaps it would be better to import directly from France.

Thomann in Germany is quite a different story from Muzikkon, as they are very big and have lots of experience with shipping costly musical instruments. As I said somewhere above, mail them with all your questions (forget about chatting). Of course, you can also call Thomann, but I prefer the mail, as it gives me proof when something turns out to be different from what they said. My own L&H Prelude comes from Thomann and I’m a very happy customer there. Often the prices of their instruments are significantly lower than elsewhere, but it’s always advisable to check.

Anyway, I agree that it’s a good idea to contact De Zingende Snaar, as it’s almost summer holidays and this is the period that there will be the most supply of second hand harps.

O, and when you would still go and check the Nicoletta, also inspect how the strings look at the height of the lever. Then you may see if the levers have ‘eaten’ the strings (so the strings become a bit frayed there). These old levers are prone to eat strings, unless they are very well regulated.

[Ingrid Kittelsen]

I asked if the harp was regulated. She had not heard that word before.. But she said she have tested all the levers. So all the halftones where perfect she said. But the strings are old, or some are old and some are newer. But if all the halftones/levers are working, dos that mean the harp do not need regulation?

[Wil]

Oh, a harp of 15 years old, never having been regulated, yet with all the half tones accurate and none of the levers buzzing when played with a bit force when they are engaged deserves a place in the Guinness book of records!

I wonder whether she has checked the half tones with a chromatic tuner…. Some people’s ears are much more tolerant than the ears of others.

Yes, if all the half tones were accurate and the levers don’t buzz when played when they are engaged, then the harp wouldn’t need regulation. But, again, I would be very much surprised.

This is how you can assess the age of the lever gut: new lever gut is completely colorless and looks almost like nylon. But when the gut gets older, it gets a bit yellow and not transparant (and brittle). One can hear the difference between old and new gut (old gut sounds a bit dull). People that play often, tend to change the strings. Also, older strings sometimes tend to get false (no matter how you tune it, it will sound somehow ‘off’. Also look carefully at the place where the lever would contact the string. If you see a bit of an indent there or even some fraying, the string is nearing its end.

O, and do take a torch with you. You need it to shine into the inside of the harp and look for small splits. If you see one, run for the hills.

One last thing, you can ask for the serial number of the harp (it’s inside or at the bottom of the harp). Salvi can tell you how old the harp really is.

[Ingrid Kittelsen]

I asked for the serial number, but its not there! And again..thanx for all the information, I have written so many notes 😊

[Wil]

@ingrid.kittelsen

All Salvi harps (and all other harp makers I know) give each of their harps a unique serial number. The serial number is a sure way to identify a harp and to get an impression of the real age of the harp.

I just had a look at my old Salvi. The serial number is at the underside of the bottom of the harp. It’s carved in wood and just like the rest of the bottom under a layer of varnish. You need to shine a torch on it, to be able to see it.

Each harp of all quality harp builders have a unique serial number.

[Ingrid Kittelsen]

[Ingrid Kittelsen]

YES 🙂 I will ask Zingende Snaar! And Thank you for the checklist, thats great.

[Lorraine Tucker]

Hello

I just thought I’d share my thoughts, I had a new nicoletta as my first harp and although I was so thrilled to own it I did want to upgrade it and sold it and bought a Salvi Ana, which I loved and had a beautiful sound. Unfortunately following surgery I could no longer move it around as it weighs about 20 kilos so I had to sell it (I cried when the people came to buy it but it went to a lovely home!) But I then had a light weight harp made for me by Tim Hampson a harp maker in Devon England, it weighs 7 kilos and is an absolute joy, my forever harp! So maybe consider waiting for a harp you’ll truly love or accept it maybe one you’ll upgrade in the future but is part of your harp journey. There is currently a Nicoletta for sale on Gumtree in England for £1600 if that helps for comparison.

Happy harp hunting!

Lorraine x

[Ingrid Kittelsen]

Thank you so much for sharing 🙂

Thats interesting, its more expensive in England!

[Wil]

Some people seem to think harps are like violins, the older the better, but this is not the case, though, of course, one can always try and sell a harp at a higher price than one originally paid for…

Nowadays, in some respects, parts of the harps are simply better than they were, and this means something for the price well-informed people are willing to pay for an older second hand student harp. Second hand professional harps tend to keep their worth better.

A harp of let’s say 1 year or more old that has been played regularly, tends to sound better than a brand new one, but that’s quite a different situation.

@lorraine.tucker The Ana is a professional lever harp, while the Nicoletta is a student harp and the difference in richness of sound is obvious. I understand how sad you must have been when you had to give up your beautiful Salvi Ana, but I’m happy for you that Tim Hampson has since built you a great 7 kilo harp.

[Wil]

@ingrid.kittelsen To give you an idea of the price of a checked for and regulated, older (from 1992) Salvi Heather harp, have a look at de Zingende Snaar at: https://zingendesnaar.nl/tweedehands-salvi-heather-2551.html It would cost 950 euro. This harp was a professional lever harp.

I happen to have the price list of another Dutch harp shop from March 1993. Then this harp would cost 4070 Dutch guilders. To give you some idea: then the Salvi Julia, a (now discontinued) student lever harp with 34 strings would cost 3050 guilders and the Salvi Ana, then with 38 strings, would cost 6100 guilders.

I’ve got an old Salvi Heather harp myself and I keep it for travel, as it is nicely compact and still has a nice tone (though it has levers that I hate).

When you go to see the Salvi Nicoletta, and it steals your heart, it would be best to have some camping mattresses and garden cushions and/or duvets or other thick and material to keep it safe in your car. Unless you’ve got a sturdy travel case for it.

[Wil]

@ingrid.kittelsen Just wondering, are you now the happy owner of the Salvi Nicoletta? If so, I wish you many happy hours with this harp.

[Ingrid Kittelsen]

I decided to not buy, especially because of the strings and levers! The strings where very worn and a lot of the halftones where out of tune..So you made my decision a lot easier with all your knowledge to share 🙂

I will continue saving and looking for a new harp. I will follow de Zingende Snaar, maybe something will pop up there. Or Thomann, Camac in France or something else…

I can still rent a harp from the harp school..I just do not know for how long…

[Wil]

Good luck with finding the harp of your dreams.

I just looked up the situation of importing a second hand harp and I’m afraid this may turn out very pricey. I got the impression that in case you get the chance to buy a nice, second hand harp from a harp shop abroad , you’ll not only have to pay the costs I mentioned before, but also VAT in your own country. The tricky thing is that the VAT would not be on the price you paid for the harp, but on the value the customs officer thinks the instrument is worth… Besides, the VAT would not only be on top of the value of the instrument itself, but also on the price of shipping, insurances etc.

I guess this means that if you go for a second hand harp, it’s best to do so in your own country. Otherwise, you could end up with paying a lot more because of all additional costs.

I hope Camac France is able to offer you an affordable possibility of buying a new Camac harp. Perhaps they will even be present in oktober of this year at: https://nordic-harp-meeting.eu/ ? Otherwise, you may have a great opportunity to test all kinds of harps there (and perhaps buy a very nice one at the spot). In the mean time you may like to find the playlist of the Camac lever harps on youtube and get an impression of the harp you’d love most

And, if all else fails, the German musical instruments shop Thomann may be a nice option too if you happen to be interested at L&H or Salvi harps too.

[Ingrid Kittelsen]

Thank you 🙂

Importing is so complicated…

I asked zingendesnaar about second hand harps and they said :

“Dear Ingrid,

The price is inclusive VAT, but because it is a pre-owned harp, there is just a little bit of VAT in this amount. Because Norway is out of the EU I guess the shipping cost are about 400 euro…”

So I thought it was less VAT and only shipping cost..

[Wil]

Hi @ingrid.kittelsen I’m sorry, I’m afraid, De Zingende Snaar was just thinking of the situation within the country of selling. I guess her international shippings are usually for new instruments.

Google at VAT second hand goods importing Norway and you’ll see what I meant in my message above. [Edit: }So, you would have to pay way more VAT than the Zingende Snaar would be charging you.

The price of 400 euro for insured shipping could be correct. That’s why I thought of Thomann first, as they pay for the shipping.

This may also be interesting: Muzikkon in the republic of Ireland also sells Camac harps (at the moment, most are out of stock, but you could inquire when they expect the new stock) and you can find out yourself on the website what they would cost you in shipping costs (choose a harp, put it in the basket, fill in your country and postal code). Shipping to the Netherlands a 34 Camac harp would cost me only 45 euro (surprisingly low, I had expected it to be about 120 euro), and the risk of damage is theirs! Of course, you would still have to pay for importing costs and VAT on the shipping costs. I don’t know how the VAT on the instrument itself is calculated for your country, but, of course you could inquire by telephone and/or by e-mail (the latter giving you proof is you got the wrong information).

If Camac France doesn’t come to your country in the next half year so (just mail them, I’ve got good experiences with their customer service), so you could test the harps of your interest yourself , which would be the ideal situation, Muzikkon may be an interesting shop for you. I googled their reviews and they’ve got a good reputation on Trustpilot. The question remains though if you’d be willing to take a chance that you don’t like the harp and so have to send it back at your own cost. A harp bought by Thomann can be sent back within 2 weeks at their shipping costs, or within a month at your own shipping costs (at least, that is the situation in the Netherlands, but have a look at their site and see how it is for Norway).

[Wil]

above I wrote ‘import costs’ but I meant ‘customs tax’. I could not edit the same message twice, so I try to correct it this way.

[Victoria Johnson]

Best of luck with your search, @ingrid.kittelsen ! If buying a harp is going to be an expensive and a once-in-a-lifetime kind to venture, it is definitely worth saving up for a good quality that will keep for many years! Definitely avoid student models and go for a professional quality harp. Even if you decided to sell it sometime down the road, you are way more likely to find someone who would buy a quality harp that is pre-owned. Keep us posted on your harp search!

[Ingrid Kittelsen]

Thank you 🙂