Looking for an autoharp?

Subject: RE: Looking for an autoharp?
From: harpgirl
Date: 30 Mar 05 - 09:28 PM

Absolutely, pg...I may leave the north florida piney woods some day....for a mountaintop in arkansas....

Subject: RE: Looking for an autoharp?
From: PoppaGator
Date: 30 Mar 05 - 08:35 PM

I'm not really likely to bid on this instrument, but I've always been a little bit interested in the autoharp. It looks so easy to play! Of course, I realize that there's always more to it than that.

Norman, I haven't really listened to any of those Lovin' Spoonful songs in years, but now that you mention it, I can hear the harp in my mind's ear, in the numbers you mention ~ mostly just in the intros to the songs, though, maybe, I think...(???) Great songs, though, I agree wholeheartedly. (I was, after all, the first to mention John Sebastian in this thread, now, wasn't I?)

Harpgirl, one of these days I'll find my way over to Florida, maybe for one of those festivals, and you and Bee-Dub will be among the first to know... (And if you ever venture as far west as New Orleans, I trust you'll shoot me a PM!)

Subject: RE: Looking for an autoharp?
From: Claymore
Date: 30 Mar 05 - 05:58 PM

As one who has played an autoharp since '63 and was probably the only Marine officer in Vietnam with one (an old Sears/Schmit silver grey model) I think you could say that, in the begining you strum the harp, but once you get past a certain point, you pick it. Additionally you get past the point where you buy an Oscar Schmit, and get a custom build one from any of several makers, Orthey, Fackelday, etc. These can cost several thousands of dollars. Mine is made by a fellow named Brinker, and has several modifications which I had to have built in, for my style of playing.

Karen Mueller is one of the few people I know of who still plays a Schmit at her level. She believes the string post nut set-up of a Schmit gives a superior sound; an opinion with which I respectfully disagree.

As to GUEST's (how typical) opinion as to the complexity of the instrument, I would invite him to listen to a couple of sound tracks off of a collection of CDs called Autoharp Legacy, a collection put out by Bryan Bowers and several collaborators. It is well worth the price and has a number of absolutely stunning tracks, really showing off the complexity of the instrument.

For those who need more information, I suggest the Cyber Pluckers, at www.autoharp.org, which will open up many links to makers, music, festivals and other news. Good Luck!

Subject: RE: Looking for an autoharp?
From: NormanD
Date: 30 Mar 05 - 04:13 PM

Poppagtor: "We can add John Sebastian to the list of accomplished autoharp players ~ I think....If he played much autoharp with his band The Lovin' Spoonful, not much is very audible in the mix."

You can hear lots of autoharp on various Spoonful songs: "Younger Girl", the opening of "Do You Believe In Magic", "Coconut Grove". Lovely songs, the harp just rings out. It was first hearing them that alerted me to the instrument.
There's a nice picture of Dylan strumming one (c.1965) in Hadju's book "Positively Fourth Street"; it probably belonged to Mimi Farina.

Norman

Subject: RE: Looking for an autoharp?
From: GUEST,GLoux
Date: 30 Mar 05 - 03:31 PM

harpgirl,

That's why I used Maybelle, Sara, and Mike as my examples...each do a whole lot more than autoharp, as the anonymous GUEST wrongly asserted otherwise...none of these have the autoharp as their primary instrument. In Mike's case, does he have a primary instrument?

-Greg

Subject: RE: Looking for an autoharp?
From: harpgirl
Date: 29 Mar 05 - 09:03 PM

I didn't know goodwill had a website with instruments. I've looked all over it. Another place to spend my money! Oh, dear!

This little twelve chord autoharp has a wide bottom for playing at the bottom like Kilby Snow did. But they are so old they often have separations at the end which are hard to fix. I'd ask the seller about it. They don't often know enough to look down the end. Felts may be off as well. It would be fun to have but to learn might require a newer and more playable 21 bar harp.

Greg, Maybelle Carter was one of the most inventive guitar pickers of her time and a consummate musician. Sara was also primarily a guitar picker.

Mike Seeger's style is much simpler than Mark Fackeldey's, Mike Herr's or Karen Mueller's. But he has a great old timey technique and it is not that easy to copy.   

Anyone who wants help (like poppagator) has to come here or meet me in a state park. I don't venture out much except it seems, to the woods....

Subject: RE: Looking for an autoharp?
From: Janie
Date: 29 Mar 05 - 08:18 PM

I'm curious. Most instruments appreciate with age. Why would a 1963 autoharp (if in good condition) sell for only $40 or $50? Do they not sound better as the wood ages, or is it simply a question of demand?

Thanks,

Janie

Subject: RE: Looking for an autoharp?
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 29 Mar 05 - 07:52 PM

This appears to be a 1963 Model 71 harp which ususlly goes for about $40 to $50 on ebay if it's in good condition. We own about a dozen of them. The scratches and dings mean nothing but we wouldn't go for it until we were convinced that the front and back have no cracks and are not warped. The pictures do not reveal whether or not that's true. Any other repairs are easy to make yourself.

Bev and Jerry

Subject: RE: Looking for an autoharp?
From: PoppaGator
Date: 29 Mar 05 - 06:02 PM

A lot of things are easy to do passably, but difficult to do well. I think the autoharp is especially easy to play on a basic level, but moderately challenging to play really well.

I mean, you just push a button to make a chord, which you can easily strum. Many good players wear fingerpicks, and if you intend to pinpoint a single string for each stroke, there are sure a lot of strings to sort through, most of which are muted at any given time. Of course, if you hit a few adjacent strings with each stroke, you'll probably hit upon one or two strings that are on the current chord, and it'll sound OK.

We can add John Sebastian to the list of accomplished autoharp players ~ I think. He's certainly been photographed with an autoharp often enough, although all the film and video I've seen of him as a solo act featured the guitar. If he played much autoharp with his band The Lovin' Spoonful, not much is very audible in the mix.

Then there's actress Catherine O'Hara, who learned the instrument from scratch for her role in A Mighty Wind and gave a good accounting of herself. Very nice job on the catheter song...

Subject: RE: Looking for an autoharp?
From: GLoux
Date: 29 Mar 05 - 05:48 PM

I'm not sure there's any skill other than patience, but I know some hold their tuning better than others.

-Greg

Subject: RE: Looking for an autoharp?
From: Peace
Date: 29 Mar 05 - 05:33 PM

They are very hard to tune. I have one, and I guess there is a 'skill' to tuning it, but I ain't found it yet.

Subject: RE: Looking for an autoharp?
From: RichM
Date: 29 Mar 05 - 05:31 PM

..Or listen to a master player- Bryan Bowers

Subject: RE: Looking for an autoharp?
From: GLoux
Date: 29 Mar 05 - 05:19 PM

I didn't realize that Sara and Maybelle Carter didn't want to or couldn't learn how to chord a real instrument. Mike Seeger, too. What an insight...

-Greg

Subject: RE: Looking for an autoharp?
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Mar 05 - 05:10 PM

A harmonic instrument for people who don't want to or can't learn how to chord a real instrument.

Subject: RE: Looking for an autoharp?
From: PoppaGator
Date: 29 Mar 05 - 04:44 PM

If I submit the winning bid, will somebody plese teach me how to string it, how to tune it, and how to persuade my wife to learn it?

Subject: RE: Looking for an autoharp?
From: GUEST,Dave'sWife at work
Date: 29 Mar 05 - 04:40 PM

Hey thanks! I've been considering buying one. Will ask the Hubby if he'll permit me to 'waste' money on yet another stringed instrument I wish to learn. It's been years since I've played one but it ain't all that hard as I recall. I didn't know Goodwill did auctions. oh dear, another place t spend money.

Thanks so much

Subject: RE: Looking for an autoharp?
From: Freso
Date: 29 Mar 05 - 12:55 PM

I actually just (about an hour ago!) borrowed a copy of The Real Thing, a 25-stringed celtic harp, from Helen Davies. And while I can't yet play a simple lullaby on it (stupid half-notes! (amongst other things... >_>)), I'm already quite enamoured by it... and quite excited, too! =)

Subject: Looking for an autoharp?
From: GUEST,jeffp
Date: 29 Mar 05 - 09:56 AM

Just thought I would alert people to this. It looks like it may be a good deal. ShopGoodwill.com is auctioning off an Oscar Schmidt autoharp. At the moment, the price is $21.05. Here is the URL: http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?ItemID=1276416

jeffp