 Shopping for Used Autoharps |
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| Shopping for Used AutoharpsBuying a new autoharp is a big investment. We have tips for protecting yourself from disappointment on our Choosing Autoharps page.But I'm a tinkerer, and getting a beat-up old instrument that can be restored to playability for a very low price appeals to me. Plus I'm constantly hearing from folks who have lucked into a cheap autoharp that can be restored to playability. So if you don't mind a few scratches, as long as the instrument plays well and sounds good, you might find a used autoharp fits the bill. Even so, if you're of no mind to troubleshoot a good, but not great, used instrument, consider
Of course, all bets are off if you find one at a garage sale for $50. Unfortunately, even that doesn't end well for everybody. Further down, we'll tel you what to look for if you get your hands on a used instrument. What About Price? Even if the autoharp is in nice, playable condition, you should try to avoid paying more than half of what a new 15-chorder would cost or more than 2/3 of what a new 21-chorder would cost. Why the difference? Because so many more 15-chorders have been sold over the years, a lot more of them are available on the used market. Because most people selling used autoharps know nothing about them, they tend to overprice them. If they don't have too many scratches and aren't missing too many strings, they'll describe them as excellent condition. Then you get it and find out it's missing all the felts or has some worse issue the seller didn't know anything about. And that $150 bargain will cost you more than a new autoharp by the time you get it fixed properly. What About Auction Sites? A few months ago, I was scanning auction sites for a particular autoharp and noticed that used 15-chorders in ostensibly playable condition were being listed for $125-150. 21-chorders for $175-225. Now (August, 2024), they are being listed for double that. In the same time frame, I've won playable and restorable autoharps for half that. (I have bought more instruments than I'll ever "need" because I was researching them for articles or in some cases for parts.) But I only bid on instruments with a very low starting value. EBay sellers, especially, overestimate the value of their product and list a high starting price that is seldom matched. Put a watch on anything you like and wait to see if it actually sells for that much, or if the seller just keeps relisting it. Of course, I don't mind getting something that isn't 100%, because I can usually coax it back into playing condition. Also, scratches that other people put on instruments don't bother me, because I put my own scratches on them soon enough. So your expectations and your mileage may vary. Again, if you're putting anything like "real money" into an instrument you find on an auction site, make certain you can return it if it's not playable or needs serious repairs. And get a musician friend to help you check it out when it arrives so you don't get stuck with a lemon. What About Condition? Storage is a big issue. I have a five-string 1887 autoharp that still sounds, plays and looks great because it was stored properly all of its life. I've also acquired autoharps less than thirty years old that were irreparable. One smelled so bad, I could never get rid of the smell. One was warped from being stored in an attic or some such. Some have rusty tuning pegs, springs, and strings from being stored in a damp basement. Even some "good ones" had a layer of dust that took a lot of moistened Q-tips to remove. All of those looked great in the photos. That said, I didn't have much money into any of them, so I could afford to take the loss. (I took the smelly one apart for parts.) But some newbies have paid real money for instruments with similar problems. The short version is, if you can't get your hands on it personally, get the seller's guarantee that you can get your money back if it's unplayable or irreparable. Otherwise, you shouldn't spend any more on a used autoharp than you can afford to lose outright. That's the bad news. The good news is that countless used autoharps go on the market every day that have very little wear, and some of them were stored properly. You just can't always tell from photos. What About Number of Chords? You'll probably find yourself deciding between a 15-chorder and a 21-chorder. If you're looking to learn on your own, a 15-chorder will do. If you're looking to play with other folks who play other instrument, most folks would recommend a 21-chorder. Used 15-chorders tend to go much cheaper than used 21-chorders because so many of them have been made. Also, I've seen less failure in Chromaharp 15-chorders than Oscar Schmidt 15-chorders, so don't let the brand put you off. If you've been cautioned to hold out for a 21-chorder, Oscar Schmidt's OS21Cs have certain features that enable customization that the Chromaharps don't. But if customization isn't something you're worried about in the near future, you'll find that the 21-chord Chromaharps tend to be more solid than the OS21Cs. And usually cheaper. Those are trade-offs you have to weigh for yourself. On the other hand, if you can get a playable autoharp very cheaply, it doesn't matter if you have a 12-, 15, or 21-chorder. You can learn on it, and by the time you want to upgrade, you'll be able to make a more informed decision. (The main thing is to avoid bringing home a glitchy autoharp you can't learn on.) What to Look ForWe'll start with the "run, don't walk" problems you want to avoid, and move toward problems that might scare a newbie, but aren't too difficult to fix.Body Style Consider looking for autoharps that were made after 1968. That's pretty easy, since body styles changed then, moving away from the classic Model 73 profile with pointed edges to smoother, more ergonomic bodies. The Oscar Schmidt and Chromaharp instruments you should be considering are shown in our article "Choosing Autoharps." Don't get me wrong; I have several that are much older and which still sound and play great, but the farther back in time you go, the more likely you are to encounter problems. Storage-Related Issues First, smell the instrument. If it stinks, let it go. Yes, I've been told a dozen fixes for this, and I've tried a few, but you don't need the headache. Also, there may be dust and mold issues that aren't immediately apparent, but which start affecting your sinuses after you've handled it a few minutes. Cleaning and airing these usually does the job, but that's something to consider, especially if you're allergy-prone. If the tuning pegs are rusty, that also indicates poor storage, which may lead to other problems, including structural issues. Unless you're a serious tinkerer, you should pass on any 'harp with rusty tuning pegs. A little rust on the strings isn't necessarily a huge problem, but a lot of rusty strings will mean getting the thing re-strung soon, and that's not cheap (around $100 for strings, and generally $100 or more for labor if you don't do it yourself.) Why do I describe these as storage-related issues? Because I have autoharps that are approaching 135 years old and have none of these issues because they were stored properly.
Second, look the body over from every angle to see if there is any warpage or cracks, especially on the face. Cracks very seldom occur on modern autoharps, but they occur on mid-1900s 'harps. If you see them on a modern harp, know the thing has bigger problems. Warpage is usually a storage issue, but modern Oscar Schmidt autoharps can have issues where the string tension pulls the slotted aluminum bar that holds the end of the string out of place. This can cause the face to gradually buckle. If the instrument's face distorts too much, the 'harp becomes irreparable, so check it when you're buying, and consider getting it fixed once you own it. When you're looking over the body of an Oscar Schmidt , look carefully to determine if the face next to the aluminum "anchor" seems to be "dishing." The 'harp in the photo to the right is okay so far, but worth keeping an eye on. (Hal Weeks explains the problem and the fix in this video.)
Autoharp luthiers consider this issue reparable, because the quality of materials in these higher-end harps makes them worth saving. But if you aren't already a serious "tinkerer," this is not the 'harp to start with. Chord Bars Out of Place - If the chord bars are laying willy-nilly, or in a weird sequence, it could mean that someone started to fix a problem or do some reconfiguration then gave up. It could also mean the autoharp has damaged or missing parts. It almost always means there are springs missing. This sort of problem doesn't always scare me, but if you aren't used to this kind of work, avoid anything that seems to have been disassembled by an amateur. Spring Issues Each chord bar should pop back up into place when you push it down. Missing springs become evident in a hurry. (If you can't push a chord bar down all the way, that's probably a felt problem.) It's possible to buy replacement springs, buf you're missing a lot of springs, its a sign that someone who had no idea what they were doing has disassembled it for some reason, and there may be other problems. Felt Issues With the tuning pegs turned away from you, hold the autoharp up to your eyes and look along the strings under the chord bars. On most harps, you should be able to see light at the other end. Sometimes you'll see little blocks of felt on or under the strings when you do this. That means those blocks have come loose from the chord bars. One or two don't usually indicate a big problem. Several probably do. Press the chord bars down one at a time and see if they are working as they should. Also, see if there are any huge gaps on them. If any of the gaps are more than a half inch, there are probably felts missing. Now set the harp back down and press the chord bars again, strumming every string each time. If the harp is badly out of tune, that doesn't mean there's a problem. But if the chords all sound the same, there's a problem. I have purchased two cheap autoharps from an online auction, only to discover that they were missing most of the felts. If I'd had a use for them otherwise, I could have bought felt strips and refelted all of the chord bars. Instead I sold them cheap to another musician who wanted to take on a project. In short, missing one or two felts isn't a problem if you're mechanically minded, but you can skip an autoharp with even that slight problem if you want. If the harp is missing more than a quarter of its felts, it will take serious time to rework it. I only take on a 'harp with serious felt problems when it's special otherwise. Tuning Issues I would definitely want to hear any autoharp in tune, or close to tune, before I put real money into it. If the seller doesn't have a tuning wrench, you may have to buy or borrow one before you go over. Not saying you have to tune a harp you don't want otherwise, but the experience of trying to bring a prospective purchase into something like tuning will help you identify if any of the tuning pegs are too loose to keep their string in tune. Again, one or two loose tuning pegs are not a deal-breaker if you like to tinker, but it's something to check if you're being charged "real money" for a "like-new" autoharp. AccessoriesSomething to store and or transport your autoharp in will increase its lifespan. Other accessories are also worth considering.That said, the chip-board cases you often see with used autoharps are a "double-edged" sword:
Nevertheless, if you get serious about the autoharp, you'll find yourself looking for something more substantial to haul and store it in.
Examples include:
Most of these accessories are described in greater detail in our "Autoharp Accessories article. More ResourcesThough I've tried to capture the most important considerations, these other authors have some great suggestions and tips, too:
Plus here are some related articles from our sister sites:
And please stay in touch! - Paul Race
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High-end OS 'harps with solid faces have been known to buckle or crack slightly around the hole. It's generally hidden under the chord bars, so you have to look carefully.
