Stringing Buttons by Dusty Strings

[balfour-knight]

Hello harpists!

I’m looking for reviews of the new plastic stringing buttons made by Dusty Strings. Have any of you tried them, and do they indeed work better than tying string anchors the usual way? I would love to hear from harp techs to see what they think.

Thanks in advance, and best wishes to all of you,
Balfour

[balfour-knight]

Hello again, harpists!

I would still like to hear from anyone who has tried the Dusty string buttons. I heard from one of my harp friends that they are “rather small” but that he likes them overall. My main concern is that they cannot be used for all the strings that need anchors on the harp.

Happy harping all,
Balfour

[fionashelton]

Hi Balfour

I’ve recently been introduced to these. I really like them. Have you seen this review by Ailie Robertson? https://www.ailierobertson.com/harp-tips-blog/2022/9/8/reviewing-the-harp-string-buttons-from-dusty-strings?format=amp
Fiona

[balfour-knight]

Thank you Fiona!

[tonie-ogimachi]

I’ve recently helped a friend restring his harp with these buttons, and I LOVE them. They made the task a lot easier. I highly recommend them.

Tonie

[balfour-knight]

Thanks, Tonie!

[Jerusha Amado]

Hi Balfour!

Happy New Year!

The Dusty String buttons are definitely easier and faster than tying the knots the normal way; however, when I use them, the strings seem to take longer to come up to pitch. I wonder if anyone else has had this experience?

[balfour-knight]

Thanks Jerusha! Happy New Year to you, too!

[joan-steinberg]

I absolutely love them! As far as I’m concerned, they are a game changer.

[balfour-knight]

Thank you Joan!

[joan-steinberg]

Also. I have used them on ALL strings requiring an anchor.

[balfour-knight]

Joan, have you used them on a concert pedal harp with gut strings?

[cecioboe]

I actually called Dusty this morning asking about using them on a pedal harp. I specifically asked if it was purely the size of the holes or if pedal tension was an issue. They said as long the string fits in the holes, we can use them and tension was not a factor. It doesn’t matter if the strings are gut or nylon. The diameter has to be .8mm (.08cm listed on their page) or smaller to fit. On my 85CG, the lowest string with that diameter is 2nd octave F.

• This reply was modified 2 months, 1 week ago by cecioboe.

[balfour-knight]

Here is what I discovered on the website of Dusty Strings:
Can I use these on my pedal harp or my lever harp with pedal gut strings (like the Boulevard)? Yes, but if you are looking for low-stress, we recommend them only for the third octave and above. In our testing, strings in the fourth octave could be anchored with String Buttons, but it was not easy on the hands. With the heaviest strings (fifth octave), we found String Buttons to be more difficult than the standard harper’s knot. In addition, strings thicker than .080” or 2 mm will not fit through the holes.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

I find that by adding a second loop over the knot, I don’t need string anchors at all. It makes the knot large enough that it can’t pull through. Add any kind of object adds another risk for buzzing, and a factor in the resonating of the string. I would not like to add a foreign material that would be held against the center strip. You could also do a third loop in making the knot, to make it larger yet.

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