Any harpists here?

[harpon]

And what kind have you?

I'm just a hack with a small 19 string Pixie lap harp-
I keep thinking of getting something bigger, but they're a lot of money and I don't play mine much- levers and more strings would probably help-

and why ARE they so expensive ?????
such a simple instrument really
all the folk harps are from Pakistan and it seems like somebody could deliver some cheaper harps here.


wrote a movie script some time ago about a harp- couldn't get it sold-
http://thehearpe.tripod.com/index.html
so I bought mine back when I was writing it-


P.S. Isn't "Druid" like "David"? At the time I wrote my script with the "Druid tribe", I didn't yet know about any story about David and a harp in the Bible.
since then I've been dodging harps!

[harpon]

So I looked into harps on Alibaba and was even looking into buying one directrly from Pakistan-

They'll quote you an incredible price even lower than the cheapest same kind of Pakistan Celtic harp TWO SIZES smaller on ebay-
especially if you live near a seaport and can pick them up directly off a boat-

I got quotes of $71 for a 22 string harp- and that size starts on ebay at about $250
I was going to buy a 31 string harp for about that, but had trouble finding a way to make payment-
they wanted me to send money directly to a Barclay's Bank account and I'd never heard of tha way of payment-
or send them a money order to Pakistan, and I then just didn't trust the site enough- they were taking days to answer my e-mails and quote prices and explaining payment-

if they'd taken Paypal- which I suggested they try to get an account- I don't think they speak English well- I'd have a big old 31 or 36 string harp for a fourth of what I'd pay anywhere in the states-

may try again sometime in the future- but have had a lot of other expenses, and spread too thin on so many instruments now!

I had my little 19 string Pixie string up on Craigs, thinking I'd get a larger one, but pulled that back off now-
because I have to have at least something to pluck, Druids....

[Earwitness]

No, but a couple of years back, my kids took some harp lessons and we had a rented one in the house. An instrument with a lot of possibility. My kids didn't get too far (they play piano), but in going to one recital of other kids in town, including some of the teachers, it ranged up into some pretty impressive playing. Not just the angel stuff and big strums.

[harpon]

Here's a particularly mellow and nice piece I like- haunting-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zpOhMg57LI