Some of these older harps have a more piercing tone than the rounded one we are used to. I had to really push to get the sound out of the tight response, but it projected extremely well, and balanced against the piano as well as a 23. Harps are brought back to Lyon & Healy from its Bounty Program, trade-in or because they were lightly played at demonstrations, exhibits, workshops or recitals.
I once did a harp and piano recital on a style 16, straight sound-board and gilded column, and that harp was hard to play. A Lyon & Healy CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) harp is the perfect choice for those who prefer not to purchase new, but want to own and play on a Lyon & Healy. I think lighter is better, even if it means replacing the neck. My harp has gained weight from 78 pounds when I ordered it, to 81 when I received to 84 pounds after rebuildings. All the harps are now bigger and heavier than they used to be. The original Salzedos had very wide sounding-boards, so I wouldn’t say they were smaller, and they usually had wide string spacing in the bass. With a straight soundboard, you have to work harder to project your bass tones. Extreme Width: 38 5/8 (98 cm) Weight: 81 lbs (37 Kg) Finish: Natural finish with 23+karat gold. The extension gives it the pear-shaped tone we strive for. The company also made musical instruments but is best known as a manufacturer of harps. There is a clear difference between the straight and extended sound-board. Sweeping organic decoration accents the extended Sitka Spruce soundboard, which also features a double Rosewood inlay along the edges. The Chicago model harps have the same quality but are uniform and good in sound. The Style 23 Bronze highlights the embellished floral carving at the crown, top of the column, base and feet with rich, reflective bronze and walnut finish. They can sound wonderful and like dreck, depending on the instrument. That makes them more in line with Erard harps. The 15’s have less bass without the extension of the soundboard. Any variation in the height of the instrument from one model to another was simply a matter of adding more wood to the top of the column(the Salzedo model) or the addition of a crown. The concert grands were the largest and included the style 3, 8, 11, 23, 26, and Salzedo model.
After that, there were several numbers that are no longer made: style 16, 19, and the 15, 17, and 22, all of which were the same semi-grand size, with either a straight or extended board. After WWII, they may have discs on the top string.īefore WWII, Lyon & Healy had 4 different size harp frames. The 15’s that are pre-WWII may have been 45 or 46 strings, with just an overstring post for the top string(no discs). After WWII they were simply ungilded turned columns. A 12 pound difference between two 15’s sounds like a misprint, or someone simply guessing.ġ5’s built before WWII had carving and a combination of gilding and bronze powder. The differences in height for the same model could be with and without a crown, which is about 2 inches high.