I WANT TO PLAY THE HARP. WHERE DO I START?
We actually get this question a lot! Research our website then email us to arrange for a (no charge/no obligation) phone consultation. We will be happy to help you figure it all out.
I AM NEW TO THE HARP. WHAT SIZE OF HARP DO I NEED? WILL I OUT-GROW A LAP HARP?
You will need to think about your goals for playing harp. It is our opinion that floor harps are preferable for learning to play, and the small harp comes later. Floor harps are easier to learn on for the basic reason that you can just sit on a chair and lean the harp toward you. There are no extra "how do I hold onto it" issues while you are trying to learn the important things (like hand position, learning to read music, etc.) However, smaller harps are less expensive and will sometimes better meet the student’s needs. Therefore, students who prefer a lap harp will find that a playing stand will eliminate most of these difficulties.
SMALL HARPS
When travel, portability, and price are important considerations, the small harp of 26 or fewer strings is often the harp of choice. They are perfect for harp therapy, car trips, etc. With the use of a strap, the harp can even be played while standing and walking. Although we typically refer to these smaller harps as “lap” harps, when placed on the lap they can shift around and be precarious to stabilize when the strings are plucked or the harpist is adjusting sheet music, tuning, etc. To overcome these difficulties, many harpists place their instruments on small tables, stools, or stands when played.
DO YOU MAKE BEGINNER HARPS?
There is no universal definition of a “beginner” harp. Such labels can be very misleading. Some may describe a “beginner” instrument as small, toy, cheap or inferior, but if you are a beginner, is this really the sort of product you want to learn to play on? After all, most students who are beginning to play the piano do not usually seek out an inferior piano to play on, as such a choice can easily discourage or prevent achievement.
A harp of any size needs to have proper string spacing and string tension, and a good sound for its size. If it has levers, the levers need to actually work. If you have researched harps online and found a "beginner harp," chances are this harp may have none of the above requirements. A lot of research, coupled with questions about the product, is always advisable.
Keep in mind that a lap harp is not a "beginner harp" or a good "child's harp" just because it is small.
STRING RANGES AND NAMES
Like most harp makers, we number our strings from the top (shortest) to the bottom (longest) string. The harp string octave goes from F (lower note) up to E in any given octave, with Middle C being in the middle of the "4th" octave. This is standard string octave "numbering." Therefore, if a harp model begins on the C below Middle C, that lowest note is called C5. C6 is the C that is TWO octaves below Middle C. C3 is the C that is an octave ABOVE Middle C. This is the opposite of "numbering by frequency."
STRING SPACING
There seems to be a general agreement among harp players that “concert” spacing of strings is to be desired. However, there is no absolute definition assigned to the term, "concert spacing.” About the only solution for the harp buyer is to ask each maker what their definition of the term might be. Otherwise, one has no sure way of knowing what to expect, except that spacing stated as "concert," generally means that it is not too narrow.
The string spacing of most lever and pedal harps is graduated. That is, it may begin at about 15 to 17 mm, string center to string center, in the bass octave, but gradually diminish to as little as 13 to 14 mm in the very highest register. This means that we can expect to find a center-to-center spacing of approximately 14.5 to 16 mm at middle C. Anything less than about 14.00 mm at middle C is generally perceived to be too narrow, while spacing greater than 16.00 mm is usually thought to be too wide. Most Blevins harp models have an average spacing at middle C of about 14.5 to 15.5 mm, measured center to center. Our experience with harps over many years leads us to believe that most players are comfortable with this spacing, and this is probably what they would call “concert” spacing.
WHAT ARE THE STRINGS MADE OF?
Blevins harps are classified as nylon strung. The upper register strings are monofilament nylon.
The middle and lower register will have nylon-nylon wrapped strings. These consist of a nylon monofilament core with a second monofilament nylon layer wound around the vibrating length of the string.
While most levered floor harps are said to be nylon or gut strung, they all have wire-core strings in the bass octave. Some models have more, some less, but virtually all makers of floor-size harps use some wire strings. It is the same for the gut strung pedal harps. This becomes necessary because good tension and string energy can only be obtained by the use of wire in the lower bass frequencies. In the low bass octave, nylon becomes little more than a big rubber band, having little tension and very low energy. The higher tension of wire is desired and almost always used in the bass octaves for harps of 30 or more strings.
WOOD TYPES
We recommend that it is best to buy the wood you like to look at, as the difference in sound quality between the oft used woods for harp is not always consistent. We can make general statements, but there can be no absolute guarantee about the sound comparisons of different wood types, as every musical instrument is an individual work of art.
In general, walnut, mahogany and soft maple are said to be more mellow, with pronounced embellishment of chords, due to a longer ring time. Woods like ash, rock maple and bubinga, in general, are thought to produce a bright sound, while cherry is somewhere in the middle--neither exceptionally bright nor mellow, but probably leaning more toward bright.
These statements are all modified to a degree by the density of the wood, which varies from tree to tree within the same species. Some new growth of cherry wood, for instance, can easily have a per volume reduction in weight by 30% or so when compared to wood from a cherry tree that grew many decades in the past. Remember too, that for a given named wood, there can be several subspecies, each with a different weight density. Walnut is a good example of this point. All these things can greatly affect the sound, making any statement outside of “in general” very difficult to conclude.
To add to the confusion, any general statement is further modified by how thick the harpmaker chooses to make the sides, back and/or sound board of the harp. String tension can also modify how the sound is perceived.
SQUARE OR STAVED-BACK HARP
Blevins harps are built with square instead of staved backs. It is generally agreed that square or flat-back harps project sound more effectively. In fact, the flat back can act as a secondary soundboard. The choice between a stave or square backed harp is not primarily motivated by a search for better sound quality, but for comfort.
The soundbox against the player’s shoulder can produce the sensation of “digging in” where the harp meets the shoulder. Our solution is to make the harp soundbox fairly slender at the top. This, in combination with heavy round-over on transitions and corners, diminishes the advantage of stave vs the square back.
This said, when the harpist is sitting correctly, the harp almost balances itself - there is little or no weight at all resting on the shoulder.
No matter which design one prefers, the fact is that stave back harps typically require more labor to produce and therefore usually come with a higher price tag, but with no guarantee that a better sound will be achieved because of the increased price.
OUR WARRANTY
All Blevins Harps are warranted against manufacturer's defects, to the original purchaser, for the period specified at the time of sale. Normal warranty is five years (two years for cross and double harps.) If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask. Should warranty service become necessary, we reserve the right to either repair or replace a defective item with one of equal value. Repair or replacement of harps within the term of the warranty will be performed free of charge. However, it is the responsibility of the customer to either deliver or ship the harp to our facility in Grand Junction, Colorado and then pick it up or arrange for prepaid return shipment when repairs are completed.
Our warranty does not apply in cases where instruments have been abused or damaged. Warranty does not apply to strings at any time, nor to the normal regulation of sharping levers during the warranty period. Your harp is shipped perfectly regulated and perfectly packed. If regulation goes "out" during transit (which would be extremely rare,) this is not covered under the warranty, as we can not oversee how the harp is handled getting from us to you.
All other accessories, such as harp cases, have a one year warranty against normal use.
OUR RETURN POLICY
We put a lot of time and effort into making sure you purchase the harp that is right for you, but we will never try to talk you into a purchase. If you return your harp within 10 days due to "change of mind," (you may NOT return a harp unless you have talked to us first) we will refund you within 30 days of return receipt of the harp in brand new condition, by check, and minus a processing fee in the amount of 5% of your order, and minus all shipping charges (including original shipping charges) or any other reasonable charges we may have incurred in the processing of your order. Refunds will not be issued for any new or in warranty items when the time limit specified in this policy has been exceeded.
Shipping Damage must be reported to us immediately upon receipt of your harp. Please take photos of the damage to the box and/or harp and keep all packaging in case the shipping company needs to inspect it. If damage is not reported to us immediately, we can not be responsible for it.
PAYMENT INFORMATION
We request a 50% deposit when a harp is ordered and the balance is due when the harp is completed. Bank checks, personal checks or wire transfers are appreciated. We also accept credit cards and PayPal, but charge a fee of 3% to cover our processing costs. Another option is a PayPal line-of-credit. With this payment method, no interest is charged if the balance is fully paid within six months.
DO YOU SHIP INTERNATIONALLY?
Yes. We will need your complete shipping address in order to provide a shipping quote.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE MY HARP TO ARRIVE?
Shipping time within the United States is normally 5-8 business days, depending upon where you are in relation to our shop in Western Colorado.
SHIPPING COSTS
Your shipping cost includes the cost of labor and packing materials as well as the actual shipping cost. It takes several hours to build the box and pack a harp so that it will arrive safely. Instead of offering "free shipping" and building these costs into the price of the harp, we want you to see the breakdown so that you understand exactly what you are paying for when you order a Blevins harp.