LOTKEY 19 Strings Harp, Solid Mahogany Harps 29'' W/Gig Bag,Tuning Wrench,Straps,Instruction for Professional Lyre Harp Player,Beginner,Adults F3 G3 A3 B3 C4 D4 E4 F4 G4 A4 B4 C5 D5 E5 F5 G5 A5 B5 C6

I've had to tune mine a few times because it would slip out of tune really quick the first couple times, that's a thing lyres do, but now it's just fine and I've been playing it quite a bit without needing to tune.I like that it's a great beginner instrument, especially since I have really small fingers that dislocate easily, so I can't play guitar, and piano is painful. I've been able to play this much more easily, and my hand can span a good chunk of the strings to pluck multiples without over stressing my hand joints. The lyre is a great size and is comfortable to hold as well.The sound is lovely, and the resonance in the body is pretty soothing as you play. My second string snapped the first time I tuned it, but I also think I had turned it a little too fast without giving the string enough time to adjust, so user error.Start with slow, few millimeter increments, and let the strings settle for a moment. It's ok if you can't get it into tune right away, just work slowly, tweaking multiple strings as others rest till you can get them all in tune. The strings are adjusting, so it will slip out of tune very quickly at first, that's fine, let the strings settle and just keep gently tuning over the next few times you play it so they don't snap, it'll get there.Restringing was fairly simple. Easier than a guitar, for me at least, and although I couldn't find my guitar string nippers, those will work well to trim the string once it's on.The nice thing is not only did it come with the case, extra strings, and the tuning wrench, but the booklet included contains some musical pieces so that you can get started.

lotkey took notice of my review and they have sent me a replacement for the lyre harp that I previously received - this one appears to be in perfect condition, I tuned it up last night and it sounds beautiful this morning. thank you lotkey!the bit about tuning in my original post is still very much the case, but that's an intrinsic property of lyres - you're going to have to tune this a lot before it stays in tune, the strings stretch and the body compresses until everything settles, but after the first week or so, it will keep its tune for many days at a timea small note on tuning to anyone buying the lyre pictured: I've tried several tuning arrangements, and have found it amenable to keys between F3 (174) and C4 (I managed to just barely tune with a D4 bass note, but had to be very careful with my tuning and broke several strings in the attempt)thank you again to lotkey for sending a replacement for the cracked one!___old review:Mine came with a crack in the body just above the F hole. hard to say if this was carelessness in shipping, since there was almost no padding in the box, or a manufacturing defect.it also came with a broken D string, which I was able to quickly replace with one of the provided strings. still a bummer though.be prepared to retune the strings every time you play it for the first few days, as these new strings quickly fall out of tune. by day 3 of constant retuning, the strings seemed to only fall a couple cents out of tune over night.overall, excellent value for $50, and an absolutely delightful instrument, which easily fits in a suitcase and is a joy to play. shame about that crack in the body though.

**Update**Giving more stars because of excellent customer service. They reached out to offer a refund despite the window having passed, which was very kind and unexpected. I'm much more comfortable recommending this harp knowing that they'll go above and beyond if it isn't right.**Original review**I haven't had a harp in years, and the last one I got wasn't great, so I wanted to see if there was anything better around the same price point. Unfortunately, it looks like there isn't. The top string broke as soon as I tuned it the first time, and the piece that came unglued is (was?) the only thing keeping the whole thing from collapsing. I'm going to have to take it apart and put it back together if I want to play it. That being said, it has a nice tone, and it would be a great deal if it had been assembled properly. As it stands, the quality pretty much matches the price.

Surprisingly lovely sound, stays in tune, lightweight and very handsome. Great for beginners