Emerald Harp Guitar
 

Hi, Does anyone in the Chicago area have an Emerald Harp Guitar? My son is interested, but I would feel better about spending that much money if he could at least try one for a few minutes before deciding if that is what he wants.
Thank you,
Melinda

Hi and welcome to the forum,

You might try emailing Emerald at [email protected]. They are very approachable and I’m sure will try and connect you with someone in your vicinity if at all possible.

Also, although you’re inquiring about harp guitars and may get some replies in this subforum, there’s a large Emerald fan group in the carbon fiber subforum, so if you’re not getting any suitable response, PM me and as a forum moderator, I can move this thread over to the CF area.

I tried to request the same thing of forum members when considering an Emerald X20 while I was in SW Florida, but it didn’t happen. Having owned three 6/12 doubleneck Emerald Chimaeras between 2012-17, I know about their quality, tone and playability, so I ordered an X20 and am very happy with the guitar.

Good luck!

I bought an Emerald synergy harp guitar 6 months ago without ever seeing or playing one in person.....This guitar is absolutely amazing to hear and play and your son will have a quality instrument that he can play for a lifetime without ever having to worry about costly repairs that can occur with wooden intruments when they are not properly maintained......I live in upstate NY and the extreme temperature and humidity swings out here is the reason I chose to buy the carbon fiber harp guitar.....Best investment I ever made !!!!

I visited Ireland last year and came very close to buying a harp guitar from Emerald while I was there. I am not a harp guitarist by any means though I am considering it. Alistair loaned me one while I was staying in Ireland, and I played it for about a week. I absolutely loved it, but I wanted something I could travel with, and in the end I felt the X20 Harp guitar is a bit bulky for travel.

I am still thinking about getting the harp uke they are offering. I liked it a lot. It's small enough to travel with too. Either one will take me a while to get better at playing.

The bottom line is if my son was serious about harp guitar and was going to get a harp guitar one way or the other, the Synergy X20 would be my first choice. There are decent wood entry level harp guitars out there for around $1000, but the Synergy X20 is the one I would take over any harp guitar I have played.

Good luck looking for a Synergy X20 harp guitar in your area. You might find one, but they are still rather rare in the US.

Hi Melinda....

Although I do not have a Harp guitar, I do have a custom Emerald Woody x 20 - 12, in would be happy to meet with you and or your son to check out the build quality and the overall quality of Emerald Instruments. As you are correct, they are difficult to try in person as most retail locations to not carry them.

I live in the River North Area.

Cheers...

Todd in Chicago