First Act MG901 Lap Harp
From First Act Inc.
Our 15-string, diatonically tuned lap harp features handmade wood construction for great sound, with authentic tuning gears for easy control. Also includes a pick, tuning key, and 10 song cards with well-known songs. Easy to play right out of the box!
- Amazon Sales Rank: #11710 in Musical Instruments
- Brand: First Act
- Model: MG901
- Dimensions: 15.50" h x 8.40" w x 3.00" l, 2.75 pounds
Replacement Strings
We had a bit of trouble tuning the harp, and probably overtightened it in the process, as the string "popped" within the first 10 minutes of use. My advice: go slow, make very minor adjustments. Although it does come with a replacement string, there are no instructions on where to get ADDITIONAL replacements strings. Nor is there any info on the First Act website. I emailed the manufacturer and received this info: "Our lap harps use standard electric guitar strings (specifically, a . 015-gauge unwound steel string that would be tuned to the note "G" on a guitar) which can be purchased at any store that sells musical instrument accessories. You may want to check stores that specialize in guitars and guitar accessories, as those stores are more likely to sell individual strings so you won't have to buy an entire pack."
This would have been very helpful to include with the documentation. My kids really enjoyed it, but I was disappointed with the way it uses just one string for the entire harp. When the string breaks, the entire harp needs to be restrung. We ended up returning this harp and purchased a different brand (Music Maker) with 15 notes (8 strings).
Good instrument for children
This instrument is a simple and fun one for any child to learn basic music theory and skills. However, this specific one only comes with the song sheets provided and does not offer any extra packets of song sheets so that the child isn't stuck learning the same twelve songs. I ordered it and tried to use song sheets for a similar lapharp from another company, but the sheet would not fit the frame of the instrument. I looked everywhere, from the First Act website to other Amazon products, but couldn't find any song sheet packets that would work with this lap harp.
Fun for grown-ups, too.
I ran across a lady who had one of these and could not tune it. I brought it home to tune for her. My husband picked it up, along with one of the song sheets and played a song. He has always liked the thought of playing music, but never been able to. He liked that one so much that we ordered one for him. I contacted First Act and requested that they look into providing more song sheets. It may or may not happen. So, I traced the shape of the song sheet onto a piece of paper. Then, I made light lines where the strings would cross. This I scanned into my computer and printed onto card stock. I have used these to work out several more songs for him to play. He likes my versions better than the originals.
