The Brilliant!™ Harpsicle® Harp
The Brilliant!™ Harpsicle® Harp is the next step forward in light lever harps. This floor-harp has a gigantic voice that retains all the character and warmth of an all-wood instrument while being lightweight enough to easily take to virtually any location. We began the Brilliant!™ project in response to specific requests from customers and we are so excited about it! The Brilliant!™ Harpsicle® Harp includes a professional quality pickup and pre-amp and there is a quarter inch jack in the back of the harp to make plug and play both fast and easy.
The Brilliant!™ Harpsicle® Harp and Rebecca Brown.
34-string floor harp
16 lbs. (7.25 kg)
54" tall (137.16 cm)
pick-up and pre-amp included
4.75 octaves, A to C
2 year warranty
The Brilliant!™ Harpsicle® Harp is available in:
natural maple, walnut or cherry
Brilliant!™ Harpsicle® Harp
When we first started building harps, in 1972, players expected 36 strings and big harps. The harps were heavy too. In the mid-1990s William Rees, our master luthier, was one of only a handful of builders who began thinking about lighter, truly portable harps. All of the harps in our Rees Concert Harps line reflect this aesthetic. But we wanted to go even further so in 2003, William introduced the Harpsicle® Harp to the world...and things went crazy. Suddenly everyone wanted ultra-light weight, highly portable harps. Which brings us to the Brilliant!™ Harpsicle® Harp.
At 34 strings and with a massive voice, the Brilliant!™ weighs a mere 16 lbs. (7.25 kg). There are a couple of lighter harps in this range but not ones which are also entirely made of wood–and wood matters. Carbon fiber harps, even those with wood soundboards, simply do not voice with the clarity and character of wood harps. You know this is true because while carbon fiber guitars have been around for many decades no guitar professional goes into the studio to record with one. There are specific, scientific reasons why this is so but suffice to say that it has long been widely accepted. So, wood matters and that is why we worked so hard to develop a light harp with a wonderful voice
The Brilliant!™ comes complete with full Rees sharping levers, has a true pro-quality pickup and preamp system built-in and is available in natural woods, maple, walnut or cherry.
Due to high demand, orders may take up to 6-7 weeks to build, the maple and cherry options are quicker to build than the walnut, there is currently a supply shortage of walnut*. Production times may vary depending on our current schedule.
This bag features a long, adjustable padded shoulder strap, as well as double handles for hand carrying, additional handles at the foot, point and on the pocket side make loading the harp into your car considerably easier. There is also a large zippered pocket to accommodate your chromatic tuner, tuning wrench and other gig supplies. This wonderful soft padded case is carefully crafted by a small company in the US. They also produce cases for our Rees Concert Line Harps.
Recommended Accessories
Because the Brilliant!™ Harpsicle® Harp comes with a pro-quality pickup and preamp included, it makes sense to get serious about amplification accessories. Not all amps are equal when it comes to amplifying harps. Amps are generally built to optimize the range and tone of guitars, basses or pianos. There are amps optimized for acoustic instruments as well but when amp manufacturers say "acoustic" they mean the guitar family. Harps end up being the odd instrument out. For us this means that we listen to a LOT of amps. Every year we attend the NAMM Show (attended by 100,000 people in the musical instrument and retail industry) and we listen to amps looking for those we know will best meet the needs of our harp community. In 2018 we found two new terrific amps to add to our selection. Both of these are battery-powered and both are truly exceptional. The ZT Lunchbox Junior (Sorry this amp is no longer available) is a 5 lb (2.27 kg) wonder and the Fishman Loudbox Mini Charge combines both fabulous voicing and long-lived charge. For the Brilliant!™ we really think the Loudbox is a go-to choice. To see all our recommended amplifiers, click here.
One more thing, if the cable between your harp and your amp is the standard, low definition cable you have been using forever then too much gets lost between your harp and your audience. Check out our Asterope Hi Def cables. There is literally no accessory a pro can own which will make a bigger difference than Asterope. For the whole scoop on Asterope, click here.
OH! I almost forgot! we have beautifully crafted, American-made padded bags for the Brilliant!™. Since this harp is made to play your harp out, here is the quick link to order.
One more thing, if the cable between your harp and your amp is the standard, low definition cable you have been using forever then too much gets lost between your harp and your audience. Check out our Asterope Hi Def cables. There is literally no accessory a pro can own which will make a bigger difference than Asterope. For the whole scoop on Asterope, click here.