Thanks folks for your good thoughts.

The man who made my harp (Ben Bechtel of Columbus OH) designed it to, as he said, "last a life time". I've had it since 1988 and there has been no structural deterioration. Also it comes with a hardshell case which helps to protect it (it is quite lightweight and can easily be held up in one hand, though it has a full set of sharping levers.) It has 24 strings starting with G below middle C, which is why I'm upgrading. I want a harp with more bass and more range. (Playing my friend Patrick's Lyon and Healy Troubabour has me craving those deep bass notes, not to mention the high range. I don't expect to be an exemplary harper-- it's mostly for accompaniment-- but it's soul food...)

Bekki