Is it alright to use nylon strings in the 5th octave?
This depends upon what type of harp you own, and what type of strings are used on the rest of the harp. Lyon & Healy and Salvi pedal harps come with gut strings in the 2nd through 5th octaves, and many Lyon & Healy and Salvi non-pedal harps now come with gut strings in the 5th octave. Gut strings have a warmer, more resonant tone, especially in this lower register. In many cases, you can replace these gut strings with the less-expensive nylon strings on your lever harp. However, you will notice a great difference in tone. In the 5th octave, both gut and nylon strings have very long lives, so longevity is not an issue in this case, so you may wish to weigh cost versus sound quality.
