Donner 16-String Mahogany Lyre Harp Beginners Kit, Classic Greece, DLH-003

EDIT: Won't stay tuned a couple months in. I've tuned it a bit too much (trying to play songs with flats/sharps in them) and now several of the middle strings won't stay tuned. I'm having to take the pegs out and DIY fix them based on reddit advice by putting wood glue in the holes, letting it dry, then re-stringing it, essentially making the peg holes tighter. (Originally I tried putting paper in the peg holes which hasn't worked, so wood glue is the next thing I'm trying.) Re-stringing it is doable even by someone who isn't experienced, but still very difficult. If the wood glue fix doesn't work, I guess I can take it to a professional to fix all the pegs, but it kinda sucks as I was enjoying playing it at first, but not if it's out of tune. If you only kept it tuned to the base notes, I don't think you'd have this problem. But tuning it to sharps or flats, I think you may get this problem pretty quick. I didn't over-tune the strings, just one step up or down, I think it's just tuning them too frequently caused this. Original review: Arrived with no damage. I'm completely new to stringed instruments and I agree that this is a good instrument for beginners. You can play a lot of songs on it, you'll just have to tune some of the strings to sharp/flat if the song requires. The initial tuning will be the most offputting part for beginners. Keep in mind that you'll have to re-tune it every day or every other day for a week or so before it will stay in tune; the strings just need time to settle. I found it much easier to look up "16-string lyre harp tuning" on youtube and tune it by ear to a video, rather than trying to use a tuning app on my phone. I wasn't sure if I'd feel motivated to play this, so I wanted to buy this cheaper model. I have actually wanted to play it after getting it tuned because it's easy to pick up and play. And there's no definitive way you have to hold it; just play it however feels comfortable. Overall I'm glad I got this and I think it will be good as a beginner instrument if you want an inexpensive hobby. I actually find it fun and calming to play it, even when I'm just practicing a song over and over again.

Beautifully rich resonant sound. Tuning was no finickier than typical for string instruments, and I’ve been very impressed by how well it has held tuning. Excellent performance, especially impressive at this price.

It's really nice! The stock strings are pretty bad but that's my only complaint. It sounds good. Just make sure to get some new strings

I wanted to come on here and address some of the negative feedback that I’ve seen about this product. I was admittedly nervous to buy it seeing all of the bad reviews regarding tuning, cracks in the product, and missing tools. When this product arrived I was pleasantly surprised to see it made it in one piece (not much protection around the product besides a thin bag) and all tools were present. As for the tuning, yes the strings kept loosening but that is VERY typical and normal regardless of what lure you buy unless the strings have been properly stretched out (I recommend putting the string a tone or two times higher than what it is in order to loosen the string and therefore make it stay) overall amazing sound quality for the price range, beautiful reverb, splendid to play, and relatively comfortable to hold between your knees. It’s very lightweight so carrying it should be easy for most including potentially younger audiences. I would buy again.

Works fantastically, was a bit difficult to tune and took a few days before the sound was at the perfect note. The bag is light and gives it some protection but I would be cautious with putting your back against the wall since the cushioning is pretty thin. The tuner is a great size, the handle is nicely polished and does a great job at what it’s supposed to do. I’m now learning how to play and hold the Lyre, it’s a lot of fun and relaxing, although if you play it for a while your dominant holding arm might get a bit tired. It’s my second week having this instrument and I highly recommend it for a beginners instrument. I also used some small circle stickers to mark where the notes were since this model isn’t marked with them.

At first, I wasn't impressed. It arrived with a broken string out of the box and no instructions on how to replace it, though there were replacement strings included. However, I was able to replace it and then began the tuning process. Some reviewers have said that it is impossible to tune. That is not true. It is a challenge at first but that it to be expected with an instrument arriving through the mail or a delivery service like Amazon's. The first few days, I tuned it at least twice a day and now I tune it every couple of days or so and the adjustments are minor. It is much like tuning a harp except perhaps a bit fussier because the strings are shorter. Thus far, I am finding it easy to learn but am only playing one-handed for now. The sound seems good to my less-than-perfect-pitch ears and I can readily sound out simple songs or read music. My one little complaint is that the strings are not marked as they are with a regular harp but I saw a video that suggested marking C and F with markers. It has worked pretty well and this makes it easier to see where to place one's fingers if suddenly lost. In the end, I decided on 5 stars. It's a nice little instrument for a reasonable price. Often instruments like this are shown being played by children. It is not a toy and a younger child is not going to have a chance when it comes to tuning the instrument. With the aid of a patient adult, however, a musically inclined child might enjoy it but it is fine enough for adults.

Great lyre. Hard to tune because it changes the tuning with the smallest tweak. I ordered 3 different lyres and this one had the best sound. It is also fairly loud. Super fun to play.

Why did you pick this product vs others?: This is a wonderful piece, and the price was right. It was challenging to tune, and might be challenging to keep tuned. But I'm sure I'll enjoy playing it.

Nous n’y connaissons rien en lyres, mais celle-ci est une vraie belle surprise ! La qualité est au rendez-vous, le bois est agréable et le son doux et chaleureux. Madame était ravie pour son anniversaire et s’amuse déjà à en jouer. Le kit comprend une sacoche pratique, ainsi que les outils et cordes nécessaires, ce qui rend l’instrument prêt à l’emploi dès l’ouverture. Même pour des débutants, la prise en main est facile, et le rendu sonore fait vraiment plaisir à écouter. Une très belle découverte, qui séduira aussi bien les débutants que les amateurs plus expérimentés.

Me ha encantado el sonido que tiene, después de 6 meses con ella las cuerdas aguantan bien y ademas mantiene más o menos bien la afinación, tener en cuenta que las cuerdas con los cambios de temperatura se dilatan/contraen un poco al ser de metal pero ya os digo que apenas se desfina. En el librillo que trae te recomienda una app para afinar. El único pero que le encuentro es que no es cromática sino diatónica por lo que muchas canciones vas a tener que adaptarlas, una lira completa tendría 24 cuerdas.

Superbe mélodie

Ich habe das Instrument als Retoure mit kleineren Mängeln erstanden. Von den beschriebenen Mängeln ist nichts zu sehen. Das Stimmen braucht ein wenig Zeit und Fingerspitzengefühl, aber das ist ja normal. Am zweiten Tag war die Lyra schon schneller gestimmt. Die Lyra ist sehr leicht, sauber verarbeitet, hat einen sehr schönen Klang und kommt mit allem Zubehör, was man braucht. Ich bin sehr zufrieden.

Devi accordarla per sempre, e poi ancora un po di piu. Ma ha un bel suono.