Rosewood Meghan 51" 36 string Floor Harp OK as a first purchase?
Dave in Denver
Floor Harp as an X-mass gift as first major harp purchase (discouters
on eBay ~$800) for my spouse who already knows how to play the Harp.
David Kilpatrick
If this is in ANY WAY connected with the Pakistani made rosewood harps,
identifiable by the strong celtic patterning on the side and the use of
strips of wood with opposting grain on the soundboard of some of them,
DO NOT BUY IT. They sound terrible, partly because they come with very
low-grade strings and need completely re-stringing; but mainly because
the 'robust' construction of the harp lacks any of the lightness,
brightness and sustain you would want to hear. Rosewood is not the most
wonderful tonewood for a harp - the strings add all the overtones you
need without a wood which emphasises harmonics - and thick slabs of
Indian rosewood are miles away from the thin, close-to-destruction
tension of a well made celtic harp!
Of course if it is not one of those imported rosewood harps, which are
littered all over eBay and start at around $200 for tiny lap models,
then I take all this back - a perfectly nice harp could be made from
rosewood, but should cost around $3000 if the wood is any good!
I nearly bought one of the Pakistani made jobs until we actually found
one in a music store and tried it. They make moderately unpleasant
celtic room ornaments at the best!
David, Scotland
Dave in Denver
looking at http://www.mondouno.com/52_Meghan.jpg (just one of several
OK looking merchats [found on Google.com])to see if this is what you
are referring to. THX! Fancy catalogs have this for $1400, eBay has
gobs of them for $800.