The Autoharp Site
Oscar Schmidt
Limited Edition
Musicmakers Kit
This Autoharp was sold by Harp Kits or Music Makers and has sadly been discontinued. It has a deep laminated body with cedar front and laminated back. The deep body gives it a full tone and it is a delight to play especially with more Classical pieces of music.
This Autoharp is an Oscar Schmidt Limited Edition built in Korea. It has a maple body, beautiful striped spruce front and a laminated back. It is fitted with fine tuners which make tuning much quicker and easier. The purfling and binding show the quality of build. Lovely tone but softer than the EvoHarps
Oscar Schmidt 15 EBR
This Autoharp started out with15 chords and was built in the 1980s. As it was an inexpensive purchase it became an experiment to learn from. I converted it to 21 chords and inserted a Piezo pickup inside. Both conversions were very successful and it became one of my main learning tools. As with the above harp the sound is a little softer than the Evo Harp but lovely tone.
Oscar Schmidt 6 EasyChord
Oscar Schmidt's 6-chord "Easychord" instruments was intended for children. With18 strings and chords Bb, F, C7, C, D7, G, which allow you to play three-chord songs in F, C, and G. With this little Autoharp I have had children playing very simple songs in 10 minutes with no previous experience. The sound is thin but the fun is huge!
This Autoharp is home built with Maple body, cedar front and Black Walnut back. It has a deep body (2") and is tuned diatonically in the key of "F" so many strings are doubled. I built it with many unusual chords as I was experimenting to see what could be achieved. It is a pleasure to play although a little heavy. Sound is a little soft but nice tone and great sustain.
Rouge Valley Autoharp
Gold Tone Harp
This Autoharp was built in China and has a maple body, spruce front and an exquisite Bird's Eye Maple back. It is fitted with an electronic pickup and has volume and tone controls on the side. The sound is a little thinner than an OS, but the pickup can compensate for this.
Oscar Schmidt 21 CR
I purchased this Autoharp in 2011 from a shop that had had it from new in the 1980s. It was very dusty with slightly rusty strings and had a price sticker, presumably original, of about $80. I asked if I could buy it for that and left the shop with it under my arm. Again it became a series of experiments with different chords, a Piezo pickup and fine tuners, being added. The sound is a little softer than the Evo Harp but lovely tone.
This Autoharp was also designed by Evo Bluestein, The Evoharp (22″ tall x 11.75″ wide) combines elements of the old Oscar Schmidt A-models (made before 1970) with contemporary standards of craftsmanship. Its light weight makes it a pleasure to hold. The sound is a full and rich open tone. With a laminated wood body, spruce top and Walnut back it is a very stable instrument. It is fitted with an electronic pickup.
Available from McSpadden Dulcimers
Evo Harp
Sparrow Harp
This compact Autoharp was designed for children or adults with shorter arms by Evo Bluestein (20.5 inches tall x 9.5 inches wide). I bought mine for travel as it fits under an airplane seat. It can be fitted with 15, 18,or 21 chords. I opted for 18 so that the top strings can still be picked. The tonal quality is astonishing for such a small instrument. It is fitted with an electronic pickup.
Available from D'Aigle Harps
