Harpdoc.com
Lyon & Healy Style 16 for Sale
Serial number 2097 made in 1920.It has a very nice sound. The style 16 has 45 strings.
The price is $18,000.
This is THE PERFECT WEDDING or GIGGING harp because it is 3 inches shorter and 7 pounds lighter than a style 17 with comparable sound. It looks beautiful.
The harp had extensive repair in 1989 at the Lyon & Healy factory. The work was done respecting the original vintage construction as much as possible. The repairs included rebuilding of the action, new baseboard, new neck, and a complete new body.
Details of the 1989 repair:
- The action work included a complete reriveting. Also the action was “refurbished” which means the cosmetic aspects were made to look new. The large brass action plates that were hand sanded to a new appearance, this was the original look at the time it was made, modern harps are machine sanded. The discs and string nuts were gold plated with many of them (including all of the oblong wire discs) being replaced with new parts.
- The base board is the part that the column sits on and is above the actual base. This was replaced with a new piece being hand made and fit during the repair.
- A new neck was made and fit. All the tuning pins were replaced with new.
- A new body was made for this harp. This includes the entire structure from the neck to the base. The body includes the sound board, the rail structure (the “bones”), the body shell, the back panel and the base frame. This new body is the most important reason in my peace of mind in selling this instrument. This body was a new Style 17 body that was slightly modified. Part of the vintage repair included using ivory pegs in the soundboard for the upper octave strings – yes they are ivory. Only pegs in excellent condition were used, over the decades the Lyon & Healy craftsman have collected these pegs.
CURRENT CONDITION-an assessment of each of the major parts of the harp:
| Structural Wood Components | ||
|---|---|---|
| Soundboard | Very Good condition (not original) | |
| Body | Very Good condition | |
| Body Base Frame | Very Good condition | |
| Base | Good condition | |
| Neck | Very Good condition | |
| Column | Fair condition, there is a repaired crack below the action. It predates the 1989 repair and has not moved since prior to the repair. | |
| Finish | Good condition. Much of the original gold leafing has been covered with gold paint (this is figured into the price). | |
| Mechanical components | ||
| Action/Mechanism | Good condition | |
Regulation control for the accuracy of pitch is always a concern. My opinion of the L&H Style 16 action is that they are highly accurate in pitch. AND the sharp pitches are more accurately controlled as the harp ages than most models. This harp has accurate pitch control, more accurate than most harps over 15 years old. The pitch/intonation is not perfect. It is as good as you will ever find on an older harp.
Sound quality is very good. It is rich, even and fairly loud – louder than many larger SG harps. Besides the condition this is the reason for the pricing being in this range. The “green” period for a new sound board to develop has already occurred, the very nice sound it has now is ready for performing.
| Statistical Comparison | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2097 St 16 | LH St.17 | |||
| Soundboard Length | 50 3/4 | 51 | in inches | |
| Widest part of soundboard | 19 3/4 | 20 | in inches | |
| Narrowest part of soundboard | 3 3/4 | 3 3/4 | in inches | |
| Height | 69 | 72 | in inches | |
| Weight | 70 | 77 | in pounds | |
Brown canvas harp cover is included in the sale.
Payment can be done by certified check.
Shipping can be arranged with using the same carton system that L&H uses to ship new harps out of the factory.The carton, packing and shipping costs are born entirely by the purchaser, non-negotiable.
If you are seriously interested, send an email to The Harp Doc
