Thomann Celtic Harp Ashwood 22 Str.

Let's be honest, harps are very expensive in general. There really isn't any way to get something decent without paying the steep price tag, and levers only add to that cost. Sure, there are cheaper options out there, but those often come with quality control issues, bad materials, or poor craftsmanship,

That being said, this model is astonishingly good for its price point. The ashwood body looks and feels solid, and has a clean, smooth finish all around. It even smells fresh out of the woodshop, so Thomann deserves a lot of credit for their craftsmanship.

The nylon strings took a few days to settle in, and I had to retune it repeatedly, but this was something I expected. I can't compare them to anything else, but they have a nice feel to them, and they sound fine.

The tuning pins are decent, and have a good amount of tension to them, so the strings do stay in tune. The levers also work fine as well, and correctly sharpen notes when lifted.

My only complaint is that there are no buttons to attach a shoulder strap to, and I dare not try to install any myself. Aside from that, I really like this harp. While I'm sure that higher-end brands are probably much nicer, it's still a solid instrument.

...even though it wasn't quite what I was trying to get. The information says a2-a5 and being unfamiliar with both this type of pitch numbering and harps, I was expecting that - however, this harp goes from A3 to A6, or in terms I can understand, a to a2.

So while it's a whole octave higher than I needed (and now I also finally know that it's rare for them to go lower than C3/c) it has a beautiful sound, and for a complete newbie like myself it's a very very good instrument. Lightweight to carry around to music events and choir gatherings.

Well, I sold it away and got a 27 string one, c to a2, which is an absolute nightmare to hoist around. Take my word. If you only want to do light minstreling about, 22 is ENOUGH.

Now I do weddings with the 27 string and use my 22-string lute harp for drunken park singing purposes. (I've restrung that to a to a2 because the highest string were way too tight to play... harps will be the death of me. Have fun <3 )