Sharping Levers

Sharping levers are small mechanisms mounted near the top of each string. They are designed to shorten the string length the exact amount necessary to raise the pitch a half-step when the handle is lifted. Sharping levers enable easy key changes and playing of accidentals. See our information sheet called Using Sharping Levers. The goal of a good quality lever, installed properly, is to achieve the half-step with minimal loss of tone. This is a good place to say that sharping levers are specifically sized to fit the diameter of the string. If you change the size of a string on your harp, the sharping lever may no longer sound as good.

For those who wish to learn to add and regulate their own levers, Dusty Strings has a booklet called Loveland Sharping Lever Installation, Regulations and Adjustment. There are some specific tools needed; be sure to ask about them when ordering levers.

Loveland or Camac?

Loveland levers have been available since the early ‘90s. We have installed them as the standard on all our harps since then, for smooth operation, good value, and durability. We go to great lengths to achieve optimal installation for virtually undiminished tone. In an exclusive arrangement with Loveland, we use a longer handle than standard for better leverage and ease-of-use. These levers have brass bases and black polycarbonate/delrin cam handles. We add a subtle touch of red and blue to color-code the C and F levers for easy identification. For a handy method of marking the levers even more clearly, look at our color rings accessory.

Camac levers, made in France, are nickel-plated cast and machined metal, with some plastic parts, and are noted for their smooth mechanical function. They are available as a special order option on the Ravenna 34, Crescendo 34, FH34, FH36H and FH36S models at an additional cost. For logistical and pricing reasons, we do not offer them on our other harp models.

Choice of lever is one of personal preference in feel, look, sound and cost.

There are functional differences in the two types of lever. In side-by-side tests on identical harps, we’ve observed that tone preservation (difference in sound between the open string and the sharped string) on optimally-installed Loveland and Camac levers differs within the range of the harp; each performs slightly better in a different part of the range. Overall, a critical solo player who consistently works with many levers up may choose Camac levers for a slightly better level of tone preservation.

The Loveland levers are robust and rarely sustain damage - not even in deliberate crash tests conducted in our shop. Handle breakage is rare, but possible. These handles are straightforward to replace, and don’t normally require removing the lever from the harp. The Camac levers have handles that are cast metal and have been vulnerable to breakage if bumped, so greater care must be taken. If a Camac handle breaks, either the handle or the whole lever must be replaced, which requires removing the lever from the harp. Either type of breakage is a wear and handling issue and not covered by warranty.

Appearance, obviously, is different and becomes a matter of individual taste. Finally, the Camac levers cost more in time and materials to install. Overall, each person needs to determine which one meets their particular needs and tastes the best.