35 Strings - A down to B

Full set of Loveland Levers

Harp: $2,975

Case: $210

Shipping: $225

Custom Pickup: $215

To purchase: Scroll to the bottom of the page

8-sided coopered maple staveback

Aircraft-quality birch soundboard
(5 laminates per 1/8 inch)

Baltic birch neck and column

Truss rod system inlaid in column

Mahogany and nitrocellulose finish

9 non-fatiguing suspended struts

Honduras mahogany center string strut

Walnut perfling

Bass: Silk with steel wrap

Mid: Flourocarbon

Treble: Nylon

22 pounds

Approximate Dimensions:

The Merlin is the result of twenty years of harp building and three years of research and development. The goal was to make a very large sounding harp in the smallest package possible.

The Merlin's pillar is reinforced by a powerful adjustable truss rod system to ensure rigidity. This unique design eliminates the need for the massive pillar found on traditional harps and promotes lower and mid-range frequencies.

The sound board is reinforced by nine suspended non-fatiguing struts. These braces counter-balance the massive tension created by the string pressure without adding sound deadening thickness to the sound board, as in a traditional instrument. Thanks to these braces, the sound board is relaxed and ready to respond without being choked by its own string tension. It's possible that the Merlin may be the first harp ever to be tension balanced. Some well-built harps will last for decades. This harp will sing for generations.

Merlin has an enclosed body. This is not a new feature – it's merely lost Old World knowledge. When the Spanish colonized South America, they introduced the harp to the indigenous people. These native builders discovered that if you "capture the sound before you let it go," its projection is increased dramatically. As musicians, they needed "big" sound because they marched and played their harps in outdoor processions, as if in a marching band.

While I don't recommend that you turn this harp upside down, strap it to your body and march down the street, I do invite you to play this harp outdoors. It will "fill the air."

To order, use the buttons to buy online or contact Rick directly:

rick@rharps.com
303.480.5028

Or click HERE to find a dealer in your area.

Enhance the sound of your harp by having RHARPS install a customized, state-of-the-art "pickup." It is a professional, dependable system that reflects and amplifies the natural sound of the instrument. It does not require any preamp, just plug it directly into your amplifier.