[Harp-L] Low Maintenance Harp

[Slim Heilpern]

Hi Walter -

It's not absolutely clear from your question whether you're talking about diatonic or chromatic harps, but based on your mention of $2500 and windsavers, I'm going to assume you're talking about chromatics. 

In my experience (and I've had quite a bit) there seems to be a tradeoff between response and maintenance. The really great air-tight harps seem to require more windsaver maintenance, and there's an interesting theory to support one aspect of this (related to sound pressure vibration). Whereas a slightly leaky harp might have occasional windsaver sticking, it seems to happen much less often and I never experience the rattle effect, which can be related to sound pressure vibration or the layers of a windsaver sticking together. 

I have been using the Hohner Discovery models for practice and rehearsals and while they don't respond quite as well to bending as most of my other harps, I rarely have to clean or replace windsavers on it. There are very few models that don't need fairly regular cleaning of the slide, the ones I'm aware of are the CX12 and the CBH (which still require occasional cleaning). 

I'm not aware of a $2500 model that doesn't require maintenance (I don't think there are any maintenance-free windsavers out there, at any price), but I'd be delighted to be corrected on this.

Just my 2 cents.

- Slim

https://slimandpenny.com

> On Aug 4, 2025, at 10:18 AM, Walter Scanlon <scanlon at xxxxx> wrote:
> 
> Harp requiring low maintenance
> 
> A few years ago one of our colleagues said his harp cost $2500. He said he
> decided on this harp to avoid wind saver sticking and other maintenance
> typical of most harps. Can anyone advise me what harp brand are low
> maintenance. Thank you.
> Walter Scanlon
> scanlon at xxxxx
>