Home | Models | In Stock | About Harps | Our Shop | Music | Endorsements | Contact | Guarantee | About Ordering

The harp arrived yesterday and I can’t believe how beautiful it is “in person”-- and I love the burls at the top of the soundbox :) I just can’t get over how amazing this new harp is, it’s so much more than I could have possibly imagined. Plus, the sound is just out of this world. Once I get over the shock of having the most beautiful thing I have ever owned, I’ll send a pic of me with the harp. Thank you both from the very deepest part of my heart!
-Lauire Southworth, California

My harp is SO incredibly beautiful! It arrived in perfect condition, very nearly still in tune, requiring only some touch-up tuning. The unpacking video was really helpful!
I love everything about the harp - the wood is gorgeous and I can't wait to watch as the color deepens. And I keep wanting to touch it, the finish is so silky smooth! And of course the sound! Exactly what I was hoping for in terms of warmth and resonance, with an unexpected brillance in the upper register. This will be my musical companion for life!
-Barbara, Washington

The Swan (See Cygnet, Serenade, Ceil and Ceili-Mor and Gemini)

A picture Sarah drew of her and her mom

Pamela Copus (right) and her daughter, Sarah, 11, playing their Thormahlen Harps at the ZMR awards in New Orleans, 2014

I play a Thormahlen Harp because it just seems to play itself and it reminds me of the reason I am a harpist. After studying pedal harp for more than 10 years, the Thormahlen Harp is my dream harp.
- Laura Zaerr, Oregon (with her Mahogany Swan below, Mahogany Cygnet, right, and her new Koa Swan Deluxe, lower right)

I have a maple nylon-strung Swan 36 and love it. It's the best lever harp I've ever played. Thanks for building such great harps!
- Jan Jennings, Florida

When Jan received a new Serenade, she said: "It's so adorable!"

I received my Koa Swan yesterday - yippee! When I took the harp out of its case, I stood there speechless just admiring the beauty of the harp! I was in awe of the beautiful Koa wood, the Cedar soundboard veneer, and the gorgeous abalone inlay around the soundboard and down the T-brace. I tuned the harp so I could hear her sing. What a gorgeous tone! Every note just rang like a bell as I tuned the harp. When I played the harp, the tone and resonance was absolutely heavenly! I had to tend to some chores, but I kept peeking in the room where the harp was just to make sure that it was really there and was really mine! I am in awe of such beautiful craftsmanship, the precision and perfection of the abalone inlay, and the stunning tone. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!! 
- Cynthy Johnson, Virginia (Cynthy's Koa Swan Deluxe)

You'll also see Cynthy with her Cherry Cygnet on the Cygnet endorsements page

My new Swan is more beautiful even than I expected! It's so delicate and ethereal. I've strummed a few strings and the tone is lovely. The harp arrived in perfect shape. Thank you for your fine work.
- Anne L., New York
(Anne's Koa Swan Deluxe)

See Anne get her new harp

I wanted to let you know how much I am loving my harp.  When deciding what harp to purchase I did a lot of research, played a lot of different harps, and also talked with a lot of different people. After having decided to purchase your Koa Swan, I must say that I am happier that I even expected to be. It is a breathtaking work of art, and more importantly it sounds and plays beautifully. I really appreciate your taking all the time with me that you did in helping to answer all my questions, and discuss with me all my possible options. You really did help guide me exactly to the harp I was hoping for.   

I love the way the gut strings feel and sound. They have a very rich full sound without any of the "twang" that I hear in most nylon strung harps. The feel is incredibly "smooth." I have no problem whatsoever playing for hours and hours without my fingers getting tired or worn out even in the slightest. I had only been playing the harp for about 6 months prior to the time when my Thormahlen harp arrived, but as soon as I started playing it, it was as if I suddenly had been given 6 free months of practice for nothing. I played clearer, faster, more accurately, and with a much more pure sound simply because your harp was so natural in my hands. It is a perfect fit.       

I had read some of your reviews stating that your harps tend to hold their pitch well. Here is what I found: after about two months of playing your harp every day (and not tuning it, because I am so lazy) I decided to tune both my harps so that my wife and I could play together. Even after two months there were only about 5 strings that even needed to be tuned at all (and I was using an electric tuner to verify it was in tune). Amazing if you ask me. Anyway, I cant say enough good things about the harp, and want to thank you again for all you did in order to get it to me. 
- Ryan and Kelly Melville, Texas (pictured is Jae Morgon, who is Ryan and Kelly's son)

The Thormahlen harp produces a rich, mellow tone in the bass and mid-range and a bright, sparkling tone in the treble. If music be the food of love, then Dave's harps are triple-layer chocolate cake with fudge icing and no calories!
- Joanna Mell, Pennsylvania (with her Cherry Swan)

Hear Joanna Mell play a Thormahlen harp on this U-tube video.

What a harp! It has a beautiful shape, rounded with care and love.
I let my fingers run over the neck and it seems I'm touching a silky skin. It's lighter than my old harp. And the sound! So loud, so sparkling, so sweet. (Even better than on the phone). Also my tuner noticed it: the needle was precise and not oscillating. I'm really happy to have a harp like this. I'm eager to learn to play better and to make beautiful songs. I really want to thank you from the bottom of my heart to let me have an instrument so enchanting.
- Marta Luchi, Italy (with her Koa Swan)

I, like many others, am the happy owner of a Thormahlen Swan. It's Koa, with folk gut strings, and a sound I can only describe as "smoky." That's what really grabbed me - I had to have one. It stays in tune very well, even outside at the beach. It's lovely to look at (mine has a band of abalone around the soundbox that adds a little "twinkle") and the staved back is very comfortable. It actually fits in my Honda Civic 2 door.
- Cornelia Van Aken, California (with her new Koa Swan)

1996: When I first met Dave Thormahlen at the Vermont Harp Conference it was love at first sight (with the harps!) Compared to my other harps, it was like silk.
- Cynthia Lynn Douglass, Georgia, (with her Maple Swan)

2005: "When I first played on my new Swan, I felt like I'd come out of the desert and into an oasis of beauty, both in sound and in quality. While I have owned a few Thormahlen harps over the last 10 years, being without one for two years made me appreciate Dave's work even more. Never have I been moved to tears when hearing a new harp, but today was an exception. Thank you, Dave and Sharon, for your magnificent work."
- Cynthia Lynn Douglass, Alabama, (Cynthia has a new Cherry Swan)

I just wanted you to know that a few weeks ago, I tried one of your Swan harps, and I need to tell you that it is without doubt one of the nicest instruments I have ever experienced. I can only remember one other pedal harp that had the same effect on me. I sat down to play it and immediately it felt like an extension of me. I bought it on the spot for a friend who has a very keen ear and sense of beauty and she is truly in love with it. I extracted the promise that were she ever to sell it, I had first dibs. What a beautiful, responsive harp. Thank you.
- Stephanie Curcio, New Hampshire

The eveness of tone is astounding and it is so easy to play with a full range of dynamics. The woodworking is exquisite. It's a beautiful thing, indeed.
- Ellen Tepper, Pennsylvania (with 2 Swan Harps)

Ellen on U-tube with her Thormahlen Harp

My harp arrived, and he is beautiful! I knew he would sound wonderful, but I wasn't prepared for how beautiful the wood work is. I appreciate your attention to detail and your high standards. The way you worked with the grain of the wood is masterful. The inlay work is perfect. I don't see or feel a flaw.
- Kilian Metcalf, Arizona

Kilian's Walnut Swan with pearl inlay. This photo will have to do until she sends me a photo of her.

I, too, fell in love with the Swan and had to have one! It is the most beautiful harp.....the craftmanship is outstanding...but it is the tone that sold me. Everything I play sounds lovely! In fact, I can't stop playing!!! The sound is addicting! Not only do I have a gorgeous harp, but I feel like I'm part of the Thormahlen family. Sharon was so accomodating and helpful playing harps made out of different woods...the mahagony gave me goose bumps every time! She was very patient and answered all of my questions.  I am also in love with Sharon's original compositions...I ordered all three books along with my harp and they are wonderful! Thank you for making my harp dreams come true!
- Lynne, Connecticut (with a Mahogany Swan).

And by the way, Lynne is 5 feet tall and she has found the Swan to be "very comfortable and manageable to carry around."

I have been SO thrilled with my 36 string Thormahlen! The more so after my 1-yr. old granddaughter broke it, and I had to ship it back for repair. David Thormahlen is a genius! I cannot even tell WHERE it was broken now! But what I did not know when I bought the harp, was that I was also getting the music I have been looking for for years!  Sharon's music is not only unintimidating to learn and memorize but it is BEAUTIFUL! I like to say it is "simple" but NOT "simplistic"....her melodies are fascinating and just plain lovely!
- Peggy Glenn, North Carolina (with her Zircote Swan)

I bought a beautiful Koa Swan a few months ago and have been having a wonderful time playing it. Our harp circle, the Rogue Valley Harpers, gave a performance at Ashland public library yesterday. There were five harps and a flute, and three of the harps were Swans. I played a few solo pieces including Gossamer Gate and The Confluence.
- Kathleen Page, Oregon (with her 2004 Koa Deluxe Swan with The Tree of Life pillar inlay).

Kathleen has a beautiful video of her and a native American flute player making music in the woods at Mill Creek

What an extraordinary harp. I have a Thormahlen that I absolutely love. I can yank the strings hard when I need to, and they respond very easily to a light touch as well. Everywhere I have taken this harp people (harpists and non-harpists alike) have oohed and ahhed about the sound. I have also recorded with this harp and it held it's tuning great for some rather lengthy sessions. I'd sell my pedal harp before I'd part with mine. It is by far my favorite harp (my pedal harp is jealous!). I can't recommend the harp highly enough, it's Awesome!
- Andra Bohnet, Alabama

We just shipped a Cherry Cygnet to Andra to add to her harp collection.

I want to thank you one more time for my beautiful harp. Even when not playing, simply looking at my harp in the living room has provided a wonderful aesthetic calm for me. Everyone comments on what a beautiful instrument it is! Oh and thank you one more time for providing me with the method of removing paint from the finish after my cats knocked it over and against a wall. Sigh. They are VERY active cats and they are fascinated with the harps. For a while I had to keep towels stuffed into the openings in the soundboard because they wanted to climb in. When I play, they come and listen. It is adorable.
- Susan Spencer, Oregon

See Susan's Cat Cards at www.clawsandeffects.com

I purchased a Thormahlen Swan three years ago and have been madly in love with it ever since. Right now I'm practicing just about all day for a Christmas program using Sharon's Christmas Book "Tis the Season, and I wanted to tell the Thormahlens again just how much this harp still makes my soul sing! It is beautiful and has a deep, resonating tone that vibrates to my toes. Another amazing thing is how well it keeps in tune!! We live in a very dry climate, and the humdifier is going almost all the time. It varies between 31 and 40. But for some reason, in my house my Swan can go for literally weeks without needing any tuning at all. I check it frequently with the tuner because I can hardly believe this, but it's true.
- Vivian Stoppel, Idaho

In September of  2011, Vivian wrote this to us:
Hi Dave and Sharon,
Just a follow-up note almost eight years after buying my walnut Swan from you: What a lucky, lucky beginner I was to have stumbled upon your harps! Now after years of daily playing, I am even more grateful that I made such a great choice. The thrill renews itself every morning as I sit at my harp and feel again the soul-stirring magic.
Over the years I've had opportunity to test drive many, many harps. To my ears you make the best harps in the whole world! I include pedal harps in this. Even with their volume, I haven't heard one that equals the living, pulsing, rich tone of your harps. When a visitor to my home admires my beautiful Swan, I call it, none too modestly, the Lambourgini of the harp world!
Thanks once again for these fabulous instruments,
Vivian

Playing my new koa Swan harp has been a deep and poignant delight, for my mind and heart, and especially for my soul. Each note I pluck feels alive and resonant under my fingers. My new harp has an incredible dynamic range and sensitivity to my touch. The mellow depth of tone in the folk gut strings sings through my bones and body, creating a feeling of reverence and awe--I never knew my music could sound so moving and expressive.
In addition, this instrument is beautifully crafted. The harp's woods and design meld to demonstrate artistry at its finest, even down to the bear claw marks on the soundboard! Thank you for bringing such an amazing harp into my life.
- Jennifer Pratt-Walter, Oregon

From a few Pedal Harpists

The swan and I are just getting acquainted but the beauty of its sound is already apparent. I am very satisfied with  the concert gut strings. The levers are an entirely new area of endeavor, but their design is so clever I just might take a fancy to them somewhere in the process of learning how to manage them. I am already hooked on the lights.

In summation, you have another happy customer. Thank you so much for doing this very important work so splendidly. But I secretly wonder.....was this harp really made in a workshop, or did it tumble from a cloud when the angels weren't looking?
- Laura Ridley, Arizona

Thank you Dave&Sharon for my lovely harp! She's perfect in every way.... wonderful tone, balance through all ranges (very happy I chose the Koa wood) And, with the string tension of this harp, I can change to my pedal harp and back quite easily. The Camac levers are truly superior.
And, she is such a beautiful instrument...a piece of art! I'm enjoying all the patterns in the lovely Koa wood and the beauty of the inlay. I name my harps...she needed a Hawaiian name for her pretty Koa wood (: Her name is Leilani (heavenly flower). Thank you and Blessings,
- Karen Jensen, Florida

I've been playing the new harp all day today, and it is growing by the minute! The attack of the stings has that celtic sound that I love so much, but as the strings vibrate, the depth and height of a grand concert harp emerges and the overtones actually increase in volume, yet the sound remains clean. I've never heard anything like it, it's quite magical, it's like a hybrid; the best of both worlds!
- Ann Borden, North Carolina

My beautiful harp arrived yesterday. What a gift you have to be able to create an instrument that not only looks beautiful but sounds beautiful too. I even enjoyed tuning it. :-) The inlay is so lovely and so perfectly done. I hope you have some idea of the joy you bring to others lives by the work of your hands. This is my forever harp and hopefully at least one of my grandchildren will play and then one of their children and so on. I can't thank you enough...my Swan is just perfect in every way!
- Judith Rathbone, Georgia

The harp is beautiful and Gina is ecstatic.
I tuned up the harp and thought definitely a bit nicer than the old harp. But today I brought the Swan up to tune, and, wow, she's really starting to have a different voice than when she arrived. All this resonance is developing, and these gorgeous undertones.

Again, thank you so much for all your efforts. I’m sure I wasn't the easiest customer, knowing how I dither even over small purchases. You were so kind, informative and supportive during the decision-making. And patient. Let's not forget patient. ;) I so appreciate all the time you spent answering questions - sometimes the same question more than once, helping us make choices among the various options, posting photos so Gina could pick out her wood. You can't beat customer service like that. Thormahlen is special.
- Micheal Bledsoe, California

Just wanted you to know that the harp arrived safe and sound yesterday. Yellow Freight took really good care of it.

The Swan is absolutely breathtaking. Its voice suits my personality/playstyle perfectly. I had heard that Thormahlen Harps were the best sounding, highest quality harps out there, and I wasn't disappointed. I love the figured cherry wood, and the light finish on the whole harp. It really showcases the beauty of the harp design and woods. But most importantly, the sound blows me away. It has such a warm, deep, and rich voice. I bet it could stand next to any factory-made pedal harp in sound! The clarity and resonance of each note is wonderful. Thank you for giving me exactly what I wanted!
- Lori Ringley, A very happy customer from Virginia

I have three words for you: OH MY GOD!!!! I received my harp this afternoon and was overcome with joy when I got to finally open the case! She is absolutely gorgeous! I LOVE the wood tone, the inlays the levers and the base…, everything about it! Thank you so much to both of you! Dave, you are a true artist and I so much appreciate all the details on this harp. You truly are a master craftsman and I feel very blessed to now own one of your magnificent pieces of art! And Sharon, thanks for all your patience and guidance during this process. I’ve had quite a few anxieties along the way and really appreciated your calm and professional way of addressing them!
- Michaela Bravemen, California

My harp arrived and I'm now formally an extended member of the Thormahlen family. Your labor of love is gorgeous with a beautiful voice. Dave you are quite the artisan. I love the way you match your wood pieces. The markings in the wood give the harp character, dimension and overall beauty. Thank you for making such a beautiful quality instrument. Keep well and keep making those beauties. Wishing you both blessings. Shavua Tov!
-Jean Chicoine-Florida

Check out the instock page to see what's available right now.