I wish I had seen this video before trying to buy a harp. I bought (and returned) two of the lower-cost "clone" harps... the Deura and a no-brand Pakistani harp. Both were obviously made by the same company. They used the same cheap levers-- machine stamped from sheet metal and extremely difficult to move. They caused the strings to go out of alignment and made the harps difficult or impossible to play. The wood was poor, the stain and finish job terrible. Levers were sloppily installed and in places even overlapped one another. The strings were cheap (some of them wound and prone to unraveling), and one of the harps arrived in-the-box with a broken string. In contrast the Roosebeck harp was pristine in every way. The Chelby levers are fantastic. The Dupont strings are monofilament (no wound strings to unravel), have a warm, mellow tone (even on the high trebles) and the wood and stain finish excellent. The Roosebeck costs about $100 more than comparable clones and doesn't come with a gig bag. However it's worth the extra dollars because it is *playable* and good quality. (No, I'm not associated with Roosebeck in any way.) Roosebeck is significantly superior to the Deura and other Pakistani lap harps... information that could have saved me a lot of time and headache.
Same! Unfortunately it's too late now to return it :( do you think it could be fixed somehow and made playable? I have issues with metal levers that don't move
@@einelyrischezahnfee2941 I have read of people purchasing a set of Chelby levers, removing the old levers and replacing them. But it's expensive, time-consuming, and the lever screw holes aren't the same, requiring drilling new holes. Whether the results are worth it is the question. There's no denying Chelby is the way to go, but the cost of a full set is rather high and (when I checked) can only be purchased from a professional luthier supply.
They no longer sound like banjos. They have changed the woods used on the soundboards. I have an old heather harp with awful tone and an upgraded minstrel harp and it is a completely different sounding instrument.
@@isaacpark8885 Ah neat. I have watched several people talk about these harps in a negative way. They never mention Roosebeck though. Do they still make the 29 stringed one? I love the carving.
I don't know where you get you info from but the harp is not easy at all. In fact it is the most challenging instrument to learn. Everybody knows that and yes I am a harpist. But I play a Dusty Strings.
Hey man, its hard to grow a channel so I just wanted to leave a comment saying this is a nice video and good job and keep going
Wow so beautiful harp
I recently bought a Roosebeck Minstrel 29 strings harp with upgraded chelby levers and I LOVE it! Worth every penny.
Hey
How much did it cost, Madam?
Are the Chelby Levers adjustable? Meaning can they be fine tuned to sharpen more than just a half step or less than a half step?
I have the same harp but with the past levers. Do you know where can I buy the chelby levers?
about 15 yrs ago I bought a Heather. It seemed sturdy but strings almost sounded like a banjo. I hope they got rid of that sound..
It's beautiful harp
I wish I had seen this video before trying to buy a harp. I bought (and returned) two of the lower-cost "clone" harps... the Deura and a no-brand Pakistani harp. Both were obviously made by the same company. They used the same cheap levers-- machine stamped from sheet metal and extremely difficult to move. They caused the strings to go out of alignment and made the harps difficult or impossible to play. The wood was poor, the stain and finish job terrible. Levers were sloppily installed and in places even overlapped one another. The strings were cheap (some of them wound and prone to unraveling), and one of the harps arrived in-the-box with a broken string.
In contrast the Roosebeck harp was pristine in every way. The Chelby levers are fantastic. The Dupont strings are monofilament (no wound strings to unravel), have a warm, mellow tone (even on the high trebles) and the wood and stain finish excellent.
The Roosebeck costs about $100 more than comparable clones and doesn't come with a gig bag. However it's worth the extra dollars because it is *playable* and good quality. (No, I'm not associated with Roosebeck in any way.) Roosebeck is significantly superior to the Deura and other Pakistani lap harps... information that could have saved me a lot of time and headache.
Same! Unfortunately it's too late now to return it :( do you think it could be fixed somehow and made playable? I have issues with metal levers that don't move
@@einelyrischezahnfee2941 I have read of people purchasing a set of Chelby levers, removing the old levers and replacing them. But it's expensive, time-consuming, and the lever screw holes aren't the same, requiring drilling new holes. Whether the results are worth it is the question. There's no denying Chelby is the way to go, but the cost of a full set is rather high and (when I checked) can only be purchased from a professional luthier supply.
They need to use spruce or solid wood soundboards. The rosewood soundboard was terrible. Mine i sold sounded like a cross between a harp and a banjo.
They no longer sound like banjos. They have changed the woods used on the soundboards. I have an old heather harp with awful tone and an upgraded minstrel harp and it is a completely different sounding instrument.
@@isaacpark8885 interesting, can you please make a comparison video? Would help me much
Anybody have a link to where you can buy the harp
@@isaacpark8885 Ah neat. I have watched several people talk about these harps in a negative way. They never mention Roosebeck though. Do they still make the 29 stringed one? I love the carving.
Hello dear I am working harps u need harpes
I don't know where you get you info from but the harp is not easy at all. In fact it is the most challenging instrument to learn. Everybody knows that and yes I am a harpist. But I play a Dusty Strings.
Easy to learn. Difficult to play well. Also a harpist
I am also a harpist, and I did not say it was easy. You must be answering someone other than me.