[Harp-L] Low Maintenance Harp

[Rick Dempster]

I have a box of metal-tipped (ie weighted) leather valves. Owner of a music
shop gave them to me. Never actually tried them. Anyone have any experience
with them? Maybe you, Joe.


On Tue, Aug 5, 2025 at 08:06 JOSEPH LEONE via Harp-L <harp-l at xxxxx>
wrote:

> >Buon Mattina Walter :)
>
> If I could agree with Slideman Slim more than 100%, I would do it. In my
> 71 yrs. playing chromatic (starting in 1954), I have never found a
> chromatic with windsavers that didn't need 'periodic' maint.
> Periodic being the key word. Some seem to require more care than others.
> AND they could be the same make and model.
>
> The more expensive models don't have any leg up on the cheaper models. And
> at a price of $2500 cesterces, I am assuming a custom jobbie. Like a Renny,
> a Psardo, a silver concerto, etc. Even my Amadeus, which was $500 years
> ago, is now only up to $1900.
>
> As for the winsavers, it's more a matter of WHO put them on the harp. The
> best chromatic I ever played was a $100 Caberet. SO? if'n one was to do a
> performance, the best strategy is to show up with TWO  chromatics. Because?
> I was once playing and had several windsavers come off in my mouth and
> almost choked. (I play mainly in draw keys). lol.
>
> I sat at a table during the break and replaced the savers.
>
> Just my own 12.5 lire
> smokey-joe/the most unusual character you will ever meet.
>
> > On 08/04/2025 3:17 PM EDT 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
> > >
>