Im on a very strict budget. I bought a 1970s-era Oscar Schmidt autoharp. It had been sitting in a closet and never played. Its mint and is pretty heavy. Fortunately the strings were loosened before it was put in a closet. It sounds wonderful and is playing well. It was stored in its case. Its a B style and looks a bit like the second one you showed. $125.

MANY good points. When I was doing heavy research for a series of articles, I bought any number of 'harps cheap at auction just to fact-check some of the "urban legends" I found on the internet. Well, I like tinkering, so I restored a few "to playability," reconfigured a couple to make them more "Folk- and Bluegrass-friendly," and so on. But I have to say, if I was a complete newbie and had paid $175 for an instrument that looked good but turned out to need $300 in repairs, I'd have been bitterly disappointed.

A couple of weeks ago I found a Korean-made "Chromaharp" 21-chord in immaculate condition for $120 out-the-door at a local thrift shop. Not a scratch on the thing! Plus, a hardshell case. While I'm already a lifelong professional bar-room musician, playing fiddle and harmonica in dance bands since the early 1970's, I took a chance on this instrument on an impulse purchase. I've been studying KZfaq autoharp videos ever since. I've got lots of questions for you! Stand by!

A great video!! I started out with a pre owned OS 21C Chromatic and within a year purchased a d'Aigle Tahoma and no comparison in sound, the d'Aigle aces it!! My plan is to do some work on the OS, lowering the action etc. It had new strings when I got it, I'll replace the felts and recut them to convert it to a diatonic F key harp. The anchor appears to be fine but I'll take the cover off before I start doing anything....Thanks for another terrific & informative video Hal!!

You can hear it in the first part of the first strum.

I bought my first autoharp for $175 on consignment. A 15 bar harp with no pickup but I was hooked. Within a week I was playing all kinds of music. My next harp was a second hand Oscar Schmidt with 21 chord bars and a pickup and still under $300. As an ex-guitar player I can only say it is very hard to get decent playable electric guitar for under $300. My final harp would be custom made for me by d'Aigle and that was over $2000, which sounds like a lot but guitarists will tell you that a high-end Gibson Les Paul or Fender Stratocaster will easily run way over that. Autoharps are great value for your money and Oscar Schmidt makes very playable harps for much less than what you would pay for a guitar with similar features.

I have a nice luthier made autoharp with a built-in pickup. I recently found that I could use a Katana Go headphone amp with it. So cool, and lots of presets to play with.

Thanks I was wondering about the choices. I have a little ol harp from an attic and it serves me all enough but ill be saving for one of my dreams!

I have an Autoharp like the one you're showing at 9:21, only mine has a fine tuner on the front. I have been playing it since 2011 when I bought it new. I really enjoyed playing it. Until a few weeks ago when the 'passive pickup' broke! i would love to get that repaired.

I'm in tears. i bough a Chord Autoharp, the strings are rusty, I'm in the UK and have no idea where i can buy the 32 strings needed, I'm a guitar luthier, and can restore the chord bars and springs, its just the strings AND finding the right tuner. Can you help ?

The Oscar ones I only seen on Amazon. They don't sell any different ones.

Hi! Hal, I have question. I live in Canada but I'm not good at English. Can I buy only chordbuttoms what made of wood? I realy want it and need it! Help me, please! 🙏

My mom has an OS That looks like the one at 9:21 but without a pickup. she's lost the tuning tool... Is there anything she can use as a replacement? Where would she get it?

Can I get more information about the bottom line luthier autoharp please ?

how do I know how old my Schmidt zither is

I am considering the beginner package but can’t decide between a right or left handed harp

my OS 100 autoharp (right handed) is too much for me to play vertically. I have no idea how old it is as it has no serial number. I want a laptop harp. Do you all take trade ins?

My new Tahoma doesn't sound like that. A lot of the strings that should be resonating sound muted. Don't understand why.

Are you pressing more than one button at a time on that 21-chord autoharp?