Why You Should Buy a Harp Online

There are many harps available today and you need to find the harp that suits your needs. But there are only a few dedicated harp dealerships out there, and they may not be anywhere near you. In fact, the nearest harp dealership could literally be hundreds miles away from you. This can make purchasing a harp very difficult, but it's easier with a great selection of online harp stores.

There are quite a few websites out there that say they can sell you a harp online, but naturally you’ll want to know how the harp sounds, what it looks like, what it feels, etc. Well, with a good website, you can get the harp you want with the support you need. In fact, with a good online website, you can choose from lots of different kinds of products and you can talk to various harp specialists.

These are the reasons you should purchase your harp online:

• Variety – Online websites don’t just sell one brand, you can get all the major brands in one location.
• Expertise – Online harp dealerships have a multitude of people to help you rather than one or two salesmen who work in a given location. These experts can be reached by phone or by email and can give you the advice you need.
• Help – When you buy your harp online, you will find that there are teams of professionals who travel around to cities near you that can regulate and repair your harp.

The harp is a musical instrument that mesmerizes so many of us. The mere sight of a harp brings thoughts of beautiful winged angels, King David, medieval minstrels, and even Harpo Marx. But did you know the harp is one of the oldest musical instruments known to man? In Egypt there are many paintings of people playing the harp during the times of the pharaohs.

Many people believe that the harp is easy to play. And it is true that with only a few sessions with an instructor, you can learn to play a few musical pieces.

The harp is a beautiful instrument that can vary in:

• Size – You will want to choose the size of harp that is right for you. There are several reasons to consider the harp size (price, sound, portability).
• Style - There are a number of specific harp types, primarily lever harps and pedal harps
• Number of strings – You may end up selecting a harp with fewer strings because they are less expensive, more portable, or simply suit your preference better.
• String spacing – This is the distance between the strings. You can select different spacings, but make sure the harp you pick has equal spacing between all of the strings.
• String composition – Nylon strings are easier to pluck and don’t hurt your fingertips. Gut strings have a mellower sound than nylon strigns, but are more expensive.
• Shape – There are many different shapes, but above all, make sure that the harp you buy has no sign of warping or cracks.
• Sound – Harps vary dramatically in sound quality, so be sure to get a sound sample of the specific harp before buying any harp online. If possible, take a friend with you to hear the sound of the harp as you are trying it out, as it may sound different when you're playing it than it it will when you're listening from an audience perspective.

There are many different variations of the harp. They can be categorized primarily as pedal harps and non-pedal harps (which include Celtic, Irish, Folk,) as well as South American;  Other distinctions can be wire-strung or double-strung harps.

For those that have decided they want to study the harp, deciding which harp to buy is a big decision. The first decision is to determine the kind of harp you want. These are some of the choices you’ll need to make:

• Pedal harps – Often refered to as a concert harp, this larger harp is used in orchestral arrangements. The 7 pedals enables the harpist to change notes so tunes can be played in different keys, and quickly play accidentals.
• Non-pedal harps – Also known as lever harps, these have sharping levers that are used to change pitch (sharp, flat, natural).  Lever harps include folk, Celtic, and Irish. Some people recommend these harps for beginners. These are the different kinds:
  • Lap – As the name implies, this is the kind of harp that is small enough to fit in your lap while you play.
  • Multi-Course Harp – This is a harp that has more than one row of strings. These include cross-strung, double-strung, and even triple-strung harps.
• Electric harps – These harps are solid body and therefore make no sound if they aren’t amplified. Some harp makers offer Electro-Acoustic harps that can be played acoustically or amplified
  

What to Look for When Selecting and Buying a Harp

These are the things you should consider when you select a company to purchase your harp from:

Inventory
Look for a harp dealer that offers all of the various types of harps so that you can select from all of the options. When you begin to talk to them, ask them which would be the right harp for you. The better companies will tell you which harp would be better for a beginner and which kind of harp would be best for someone who plans to be a professional harpist.

Be very aware that your physical size will also be a factor to consider when choosing the best harp for you. Make sure that the dealer you use has an inventory that features harps that come in the size you need.

Select a company that offers many of the accessories you’ll need with your harp. You will need to get the appropriate bench, tuning keys (make sure your salesperson can explain how to use the tuning keys), sheet music, and instructional materials.

Unlike most products, harps can actually be better the second time around. That’s right, used may be better than new! If you can find a used harp that has been taken care of, it might give you a better sound than a new harp. That is because the wood tends to get better with age; however, if a harp has not been kept in a place with regulated temperatures, the harp may not be a good bargain. So, look for a used harp, but be very careful.

Brand names
Be sure that the harp store you choose has a good selection of brand names. Lyon & Healy, Salvi, Dusty Strings and Camac are the most popular brands.

Features
When you are trying to determine which dealership to choose your harp from, you will want to compare the various sounds of the harps. Not all harps sound the same so you’ll want to test quite a few. Each harp and model has its own unique sound and tonal quality. Many of the websites offer audio files so that you can hear the tone and pitch of each of the harps.

Go with a company that has knowledgeable salespeople that can make recommendations for purchasing a harp. The decision will vary from customer to customer so be sure that you have selected a salesperson who can give you good advice.

Many dealerships, in addition to selling harps, will also offer lessons on how to play the harp. This kind of company will probably be a better choice if you are just starting out learning the harp.

Support
Before you actually purchase a harp, you may want to take one home and evaluate it for a while. You will then have a good idea of what you’d like to purchase. For this reason, select a harp dealership that offers rentals and/or returns.

You may also want to choose a harp dealership that will repair your harp if there are problems with it, or at least refer you to someone (like the harpmaker) who can. In addition, you will need to learn how to tune your own harp. Try to find a dealership that can train you how to do this yourself.

Consider purchasing insurance on your harp and don’t buy a harp that doesn’t have a warranty. This may end up being very important.

Website quality
When you purchase your harp off the Internet, you will want to get it from a harp store that makes getting support and harp information easy. If you have trouble finding things on a particular website, purchasing your harp and everything you need will be difficult.

To help you avoid the potential problems of buying a harp, we’ve “pulled some strings” and brought together some helpful resources on online harp stores, including articles, comparisons, and in-depth reviews of the best online harp stores. For the best harps stores, see our reviews of Sylvia Woods Harp Center, Harps Etc. and The Harp Connection. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™