It's almost time for the Southeastern Harp Weekend, and we've been very busy getting everything organized for the trip, picking out the harps we're going to bring, and dreaming about the gorgeous fall colors in Asheville, NC! If you're signed up to participate in the festival, there are probably some particular things you're dreaming about as well. It might be a certain workshop or performer, catching up with friends from years past, or strolling through the vendor hall to pick out some new music, see what's going on with your favorite harp makers, and maybe try out a harp or a few. (We know there are some of you attending the festival under strict instructions from your significant other to not buy a harp, but there's no harm in just playing them, right?)
We're really excited to see everyone there and we have so much stuff to tell you about that we thought it would be a good idea to break this up into sections so you can skip to the part you're interested in.
If you're not signed up for the festival, but you're now jealous of everyone who is, there are two pieces of news that may cheer you up! First, the Southeastern Harp Weekend happens every year, so you can sign up for 2016! It fills up fast, so keep an eye on the website for when registration opens in the spring. And second, you can still come visit all your favorite harp makers without having to wait until next year! There are free shopping-only passes that give you full access to the vendor hall on Saturday, October 24th (10:30 to 6:30) or Sunday, October 25th (10:30 to 4) and you can browse to your heart's content.
We'll be hanging out at the Dusty Strings booth with a bunch of harps you can try (see below for the full list), as well as Dusty T-shirts, tote bags and an assortment of harp accessories. We have a combination tuning-key-and-electronic-tuner to simplify your harp tuning process, red and blue color rings for marking your tuning pins or levers, cozy fleece wristies to keep your hands warm while you play, a universal tuning wrench that adjusts to fit any size harp tuning pin (great for harpists with multiple harps or teachers who need to tune a variety of students' instruments), and a new tuning wrench holder, which attaches to the back of your harp and fits Dusty Strings custom wrenches, among others.
We will also have our Dusty Harp Pickup installed in a few different harps and available to try. We have two sizes of pickup for lever harps and one for pedal harps, as well as a Jack Clamp accessory that allows you to install the pickup without drilling a hole in your harp. We've been making these harp-specific pickups for more than 10 years, and people really like the clean and natural sound they produce, as well as the easy installation kit and instructions. If you've been looking for a way to amplify your harp, this is a great opportunity to try out these pickups in person. Plus, we'll have them for sale at a special conference price!
If you need more incentives to stop by our booth and say hello, here they are!
And finally, the full list of harps we will have at the booth:
Crescendo 34 with an unusually wild grain pattern
Unique FH36S in red curly maple (not one of our standard wood choices)
FH26 in bubinga, our boldest-sounding wood (the red color is not just a trick of the light!)
FH36S in mellow walnut, with a lovely subtle bit of figuration
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