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Thumbnail Filmstrip of Sonnet Lap Harp (29 Strings) Images
The Sonnet Lap Harp
The Sonnet Lap Harp has been a long time in the making and we worked hard to pack the tone of a full-size harp into this small, portable, lap harp.
A full 4 octaves beginning on C below middle C gives you plenty of range; more than most lap harps. The string set provides an even tension from top to bottom. Squarely in the medium tension range, the strings are comfortable on the fingers but still capable of expressive dynamics.
Beyond the look and tone, this harp is designed specifically for comfort. The cant of the neck, the angle of the base, the asymmetrical sound chamber, and the balance point all make this harp sit gracefully on your lap with little to no effort.
A final innovation are the access holes which are placed on the sides instead of the traditional location in the back panel giving the player a richer sonic experience.
What's Included:
- Finished Sonnet Lap Harp with Camac Levers
- Padded Gig Bag
- Tuning Wrench
- Free shipping in the Continental US
Product Manual
Stephanie Claussen demostrates the Sonnet Lap Harp.
Quilted Maple Soundboard Upgrade
All our harp soundboards are made of aircraft birch, a 6-layer laminate that can withstand the tension of the harp strings without breaking. As an added visual appeal we can veneer a thin layer of beautiful quilted maple to the soundboard. It has a very slight affect on the tone making making the harp sound slightly warmer.
Here's a couple of pictures of our Sonnet Lap Harp with the quilted maple upgrade.
The Sonnet Lap Harp
| Strings | 29 strings |
| Range | C3 to C7 (String Chart) or A2 to A6 (String Chart) |
| Weight | 9.5 pounds |
| String Spacing | Narrow |
| String Tension | Medium |
| Size | 34" tall, 24" deep, 13" wide |
| Soundboard | Aircraft Birch |
| Body, Neck, Pillar | Cherry |
The Vivid Color Sonnet Lap Harp
Upgrade your harp to a Vivid Color using the dropdown box above.
| Strings | 29 |
| Range | C3 to C7 (String Chart) |
| Weight | 10.5 pounds |
| String Spacing | Narrow |
| String Tension | Medium |
| Sharping Levers | Camac |
| Gig Bag | Included |
| Size | 34" tall, 24" deep, 13" wide |
| Soundboard | Aircraft Birch |
| Body, Neck, Pillar | Curly Maple |
| Warranty | Musicmakers 5 Year Warranty |
Vivid Color Harps
Cheyenne and her Purple Harp
Vivid Color Harps
We have always loved the natural grain of the woods we use and didn't want the color to hide that; we wanted the color to accentuate the grain. Maple, being a wood that is lighter in color, makes the perfect canvas for our vivid color stains.
Maple is also available with some highly figured and beautiful grain patterns. We use select curly maple for the sides, neck, and pillar and offer a quilted maple veneer upgrade on the soundboard. The stain interacts with the figured grain patterns in exciting and surprising ways.
Check out this photo gallery.
Sonnet Lap Harp Frequently Asked Questions
Yes - we can. We now have a drop down selection to choose the A to A stringing option.
The main difference is the range. The A to A tuning goes two notes lower than the C to C tuning. The A to A tuning also tends to have slightly less tension and a more mellow tone.
All our soundboards are made of aircraft birch, a 6 layer laminate that can withstand the string tension of a harp without breaking. Quilted maple has a stunning grain pattern that elevates the visual appeal of the harp. It is a thin laminate added to the aircraft birch harp. It has a very slight effect on the tone making the harp sound slightly warmer.
Just under 10 pounds.
Yes! We designed the Sonnet to sit on your lap so that it is ready for you to play without needing much adjustment.
Whatever your body shape - we are confident you will be able to hold and play this harp. You can alway add a strap or use a a stand to put the harp in a position that works for you.
Yes - installing a strap is quite simple and you can do it yourself. Click here for a video instructional that will teach you how to install a strap.
Adding a strap to your Sonnet Lap harp does a couple of things. While seated, it allows you to hold the harp securely in your lap without using your hands. This frees up your hands to reach for a tuner, a tuning wrench, some music, or whatever. It also allows you to drop the harp between your legs, positioning the harp lower relative to your body. Some people find this more comfortable. Finally, it allows you to play the harp standing up.
No - we don't sell a stand for the Sonnet Harp but we have some recommendations for you. Click on the Resources tab on this page for more information.
Just like Baby Bear's bed - not too soft, not too hard. In other words - medium.
This is a tricky question. We don't stock other makers harps here so it's best if we don't answer that directly. We say the Sonnet has medium string tension. So if you have a harp with high string tension, this will feel a little lighter. And if you have a harp with low tension, this harp might feel a little stiffer.
Well - "Concert String Spacing" is the commonly accepted standard in the harp world. But you won't find a definition of what that actually means. So we measured string spacing on harps form several different makers that all claim to use concert string spacing.
We measured the span between C4 (middle C) and the C5 the C above middle C). We found that the average spacing across this octave was 98mm. So this is what we consider Concert String Spacing.
The distance across that span on the Sonnet Harp is 95mm, slightly narrower than Concert String Spacing.
If you want the answer to this question - you can measure the distance between C4 and C5 on the harp to which you would like to make the comparison.
We can't really answer this question. We can say it is too large to fit in an overhead compartment. However, in m experience, I have found airlines to be fairly accommodating with musical instruments. It is best to contact the airline and ask them directly.
You can order a complete set of replacement strings or individual strings here.
