Take Five... Harps

Testing five great celtic harps: Salvi Livia (36), Lyon & Healy Troubadour VI, Dusty Strings FH 34 (Cherry, Nylon), Dusty Strings Crescendo 34, Teifi Telor (34)
Recorded at the "De Zingende Snaar Harpen", Netherlands www.zingendesn...
Recording equipment (audio): Tascam DR-40
Check these harp testing videos, too:
• Take Two... Compact harps Two great compact harps: Dusty Stings Ravenna (26 strings) and Odyssey by Camac (27 strings)
• Take Three... Camac gu...
Three great Camac harps with gut strings: Camac Korrigan (lever harp with 38 strings), Camac Mademoiselle (lever harp with 40 strings) and Camac Égérie pedal harp (straight soundboard, 47 strings)
Audiox Harp Rental Company: www.audiox.fi/

[@vehrkalia]

in all those years I still listen at harps on YT and still can't decide which I love the most. My heart is for the FH36, but all the DS are gorgeous and even the L&H are wonderful, not talking about the Teifi, or the Triplett, or the Thormhalen... There are so many wonderful harps out there!!! How can one take a decision? Only the money are the real matter for chosing one harp instead of another...

[@pearliephillips6899]

I love the sound of the Teifi Telor (34) I feel such freedom with the Telor, all the harps have expressive sound but the Telor has my feeling and sound Hallelujah ❤

[@Azura2277]

Dusty Crescendo 34 is one I love the most, it's warm toned like a guitar yet deep as the sound of a piano almost... to say the very least that describes its sound in words full bodied.

[@MegaOJW]

What is so interesting about this video is how different every harp sounds. The best way to use this video is to try and forget your preconceptions about harp brands. To listen objectively you need to plug in a decent pair of headphones and not watch the screen. Of course the visual is important to our harp purchases even if we tell ourselves it's not. Otherwise why do we pay extra for decorated sound boards‽ Consider the colour and tone , warmth and tingling chills, light and dark of what you HEARING. To me the Telor Teifi wins hands down because for me it's the one that has the bigger rich sound nearer to a pedal harp, less tinny than some others , thick , warm and comfortable. I've also played one myself and LOVE the pedal harp spacing, even balanced weight when holding and the fact it has pedal harp strings which gives that warmth missing on so many 34/36/38 string harps which use lighter gauge. It would be interesting to see a video comparing more hand made , less factory orientated produced harps. Of course all harps are hand made to some extent just some more than others. The Telors are very much hand made using traditional methods as are Pilgrim , Starfish, Avalon etc. People often ask what would I buy because I won't tie myself to one brand. The answer is to let your body decide. Your whole body, not just your ears. If you intend to spend at least 365 hours a year playing it then it's essential you're physically comfortable behind it. Enjoy the view when you're in front of it and fall in love with the sound. If the lever harp you buy is not the lightest use a compact pedal harp trolley to move it around then it negates the few extra lbs. Balance point on harp with/without legs when playing far more important imo, you need zero weight resting on you. The harp must easily find it's point of balance.

[@Lewis_the_raider]

How's the bass strings on telor? I am looking for a deep but smooth bass, but unfortunately there's no store in NL that has teifi harps so I can hear them in real life.

[@sabinehornungfan7371]

Hey and guess what? The one harp he was playing was the one that Sabine Hornung plays. The harp that she plays is the Lyon and Healy Troubadour VI in black.

[@janevalencia9810]

I love reading everyone's impressions of these harps, and which one(s) they love and why! Choosing a harp is truly a personal expression. Myself, I fell in love with the FH 34 in Cherry. ... But I found all of them expressing many wonderful qualities.

[@elizabethdexter3779]

I listened to this before I purchased my harp the Dusty Crescendo and listening again I think I made the right choice. Thanks

[@fonsedyr]

This is so useful, almost exactly the models I'm trying to decide between. Thanks so much for putting them through their paces! Please throw in a few Camacs next time too :)

[@matildaGin777]

I love 2nd part of this song on lower notes.. I wish I could know how to play them, I listened over and over again amazing

[@lisamarie6218]

I am in love with the Teifi

[@elegantharpist9146]

I think I like the sound of the Teifi best, followed by the Dusty Crescendo (but that all sounds great and are all great harps, couldn't go wrong with any of them!)

[@marthereinard4013]

FH34 🙂

[@ricardosamper2908]

And the winner Is: The 4 Harp. Good sound.

[@vehrkalia]

love the crescendo, the lyon & healy and the fh34. :-) thank you for this video, I've really appreciated the comparison.

[@qltygrl3187]

I like the Dusty Strings the best. Wish I could afford the FH34 cherry!

[@GloriaGarcia-yv1tk]

Nice demonstration!! No. 1 is Dusty Crescendo, No. 2 Teifi Telnor

[@sabinehornungfan7371]

The harp that Sabine Hornung plays is the Lyon and Healy Troubadour VI harp in black. Sabine Hornung is a German archaeologist and harpist from the band Annwn. She was born in March 20th, 1971. She is from Germany, she is a real person and she is 50 years old.

[@ecologicaladam7262]

The Dusty FH34 does it for me... such a warm, mellow sound. I admit I'm biased, as my first 'proper' harp was an FH34S !

[@GorefeastDrummer]

I blind listened and the dusty FH34 actually made me respond emotionally to how beautiful it was, definitely my dream harp, one day...

[@Skyyyyyyyyyi]

In my opinion that Dusty strings has the best tone

[@kristinasterling815]

Thankyou for demonstrating the comparisons. The background noise of shuffling was a disservice to your presentation

[@danadess]

What song are you playing??

[@kastellorizo1]

I think the Salvi Livia and the Dusty Strings FH34 have the nicest tones.

[@jjsc3334]

I play Troubadour, the older harp sound round, mature and spiritual, it really sing for me.

[@NicolesVideoCorner]

I also currently play Troubadour VI, but I think Salvi is the best. It is gonna be my next one. I would also like to try a Camac.

[@gstevens866]

The Teifi wins for me.

[@iamanman]

I think Dusty String FH series sounds best because the sound board of FH series made from original solid wood instead of using plywood board.

[@aviramfr]

These are all fine harps, and each one sounded differently. I compared the beginings of this piece played on each harp, and had to play them couple of times over and over till I made up my mind. I liked the Crescendo the most, for, it had in my opininon the most lyrical quality in the higher register (it sounded the lease 'plucked'). In second place came the Telor who have a rich, warm and smoth sound. Third came the FH34 because of its unique sound, 4th the Salvi, which was mellow and sweet, and last came the Troubadour. Both Salvi and Lyon and Healy were too articulated to my taste, which means that notes in the high register sounded too crisp and too "plucked", rather than more mellow as in the other 3 instruments.

[@lajuanascruggs3947]

Thankyou for your observation. I'm in search for my first harp.

[@LooneyNina]

I really hoped to hear Take Five song on harps :D well, still watched

Hello Nina - Take Five is really a big challenge to play on a lever harp... Tamsin Dearnley plays it lovely on this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j16YfIeco9aHiLc

[@LooneyNina]

@, wow that sounds awesome, thank you for the link. Yes, it looks like a great challenge

[@okorolina]

Love the sound on the last two, Dusty and Teifi Telor

[@Nelsonbrook33]

The Troubadour VI gets my vote, but, of course, it's strung in pedal gut, to which I'm partial. I believe the Livia is in folk gut, and the rest are folk harps. I wouldn't mind having any of them, however. :)

[@hiohtakara1372]

I like Dusty Strings the best, it doesn't sound as mechanical

[@reighn831]

All of these sound absolutely marvelous,, but what's the price difference between them? I fell in love with the Dusty Strings upon hearing them but I'm sure that magnificent sound comes for a price xD

[@aprilmarie6453]

With the Dusty strings, the Crescendo is around $3600, and all FH are around the $4000-6000 range.

[@LearningtheHarp]

Hi Jouni. This is a great video!! So useful to have a comparison of these harps all played by the same harpist with the same recording equipment. Do you happen to remember your experience of the difference between the harps? For example string spacing, and the difference in tone? We can hear some things from the recording but I would be really interested to hear your analysis of the difference between the harps 😊

Hello Christy-Lyn. Thanks for your positive feedback ! It is now almost a year ago visited “De Zingende Snaar Harpen” - a great harp shop in the Netherlands. They have very wide selection of different kind of harps from the top brands. So, here come some very subjective memories: Salvi and especially Lyon & Healy have the highest tension. This is no problem for pedal-harp oriented players. Both of the Dusty Strings harps and Teifi, too, have somehow lower tension, but they are not “extra-light” either. I would describe the tension of these three harps “moderate”. About spacing of the strings: I didn’t notice anything very special - although the spacing is not identical. Lyon & Healy has the shortest and Dusty Strings FH34 the longest sustain of the sound. Lyon & Healy has overall the “softest"and "tightest" sound (it has gut strings) - FH34 brightest (nylon strings). The bass register of Teifi , DS Crescendo and LH is quite deep and nice - a little - but just a little - weaker in FH34 and Salvi. All of these harps are well built and have great sound, too. It is a question of Your own personal taste and way to play, which matters. (Please note that I do not work in “De Zingende Snaar Harpen” - I was just an ordinary customer there.) If you are “In a search of a perfect harp” for You, I would suggest to test as many harps as possible. With warm greetings from the North : - )

[@LearningtheHarp]

Thank-you so much, Jouni. That is really helpful and interesting!!

[@mizzushiro]

Great. Is the last harp Teifi Telor in wood mix??

Yes it is. And sorry to inform You that the lovely Teifi harps are no more in production: facebook.com/TeifiHarps/

[@andrewharpcelticandresrodr5305]

La buscaré.... tengo un Arpa Celta Salvi Titan 38. Y amo esas melodías. Gracias eres muy amable al responder.

[@classicbberry4107]

I think you like the Dusty Strings the most, no?

Dusty Strings are joy to play : - )

[@Ohbonnyportmore]

What’s the name of the piece being played? Very cool.

It's mainly just an improvisation for testing the harps. But there's a short old melody from Brittany, too. It's called: "Er verc'h Margarited" - I have learned this tune from harpist Anne Postic.

[@Tortise02]

@ 'Just' an improvisation...oh, to improvise like that!

[@jerichogonzales1290]

I Clicked on this video thinking he was going to play the jazz standard

[@JosSae2]

What piece is played here?

[@TARABELOVED]

Which of these would be considered to have light tension?

I recorded this video last summer and, as far I can remember, L&H, Salvi and Teifi have harder tension and Dusty Stings harps lighter tension.

[@marcigoodwin6743]

were did you get the stool!!!

zingendesnaar.nl/accessoires/stoelen.html

[@jondoes8222]

Wow they all get a 10 from me.

[@lanceparker6174]

Teifi wins

[@andrewharpcelticandresrodr5305]

hola. gracias por tu vídeo y la comparación de tus Arpas. quiero saber como se llama esa melodía que interpretas es hermosa y si puedes decirme el nombre o si esta escrita. gracias por tu colaboración.

Hola Jorge. La melodía es principalmente una improvisación. Pero hay un breton (Brittany) cancíon tradicional también, se llama "Er verc'h Margarited". ¡Gracias por su interés!

[@alinesarkis7205]

Should’ve played take five smh (still beautiful tho)

[@jt659]

My heart broke, I thought this was a cover of Take 5 by David Brubeck

kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGrKoHRnj814osk

[@zubairch7193]

Hello