[Harp-L] Low Maintenance Harp

[Bill Newton]

I like the Suzuki 4-octave chromatics --  SCX-64 and Sirius 4-octave chrom.
Their reeds and windsavers are long-lasting and low-maintenance,
particularly if you warm them up before playing if they're cold (from
weather or AC). I also like their tone and intonation.

    - Bill Newton

On Mon, Aug 4, 2025, 3:17 PM Slim Heilpern <slim at xxxxx> wrote:

> 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
> >
>
>