The Dusty Pedal Harp Pickup™
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“I had time to test out the new Dusty Strings pick-up in my Lyon and Healy Style 23 last night. I love it! It is very natural sounding and gets a very “real” warm sound from the instrument. It also is very even and balanced throughout the full range of the harp. It is by far the best pick-up I have ever used. Having it permanently installed is a real plus also, so I don’t have to deal with sticking it on every time I need to use it and then worrying if it will stay stuck on when I need it! Peter [Wiley] installed it very quickly. Please thank the Dusty folks for me and let them know I really, really like the sound and balance of the product! I would recommend it to anyone without hesitation!”
– Paul Baker, Los Angeles
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"Hey all you harpers! I just wanted to let you know how much I love my new Dusty Pedal Harp Pickup. Even though I already loved the sound of my Lyon and Healy 2000CG, I heard about this pickup and had to try it out. WOW! The sound is amazing! It's easy. Superb sound! If you are looking for an even better sound than you are currently getting, try this pickup. I think every harpist should have one so we can all be heard and not be tempted to overplay."
—Heather Cullins, Dallas
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Most harpists who perform decide at some point that they need to amplify their instruments, so they go shopping for a pickup that will do the job. They soon discover a confusing array of options that can make it daunting to determine what will work best. We've gone through that process ourselves, spending a lot of time testing various pickups on the market. Eventually we took on the project of developing a pickup system specifically for harps that would give the kind of sound we knew was possible. We called it the Dusty Harp Pickup. It was so successful that pedal harpists soon started asking for a pickup designed for pedal harps.
We call it the Dusty Pedal Harp Pickup. The pickup elements are optimized for pedal harps and the harness fits in any instrument. We've been getting rave reviews from pedal harpists who have installed it. It makes amplification easy, and sound technicians love it.
Using four carefully selected and placed piezo elements, our pickups achieve a clean, focused, natural and lush sound. The rich, full bass notes balance and blend with the clear, musical mids and high notes. It's simply the sound of the harp, only bigger. This pickup works at any volume level without feedback, which can be a concern when playing at high sound levels.
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Pickup elements discreetly mounted inside the harp
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The pickup is discreetly mounted inside the soundbox, invisible to the audience. A single jack mounted on the back of the harp makes for true "plug and play" ease of use. A single guitar cable allows you to plug your harp straight into any amplifier and most PA systems, with no need for a preamp box or complicated connections. If you are playing in situations requiring very high volume, you may want to add a preamplifier to the system. In addition to boosting the signal, it will give you direct control over your volume and tone if you aren't near your amplifier. With some amplifiers it will also sweeten and smooth out your sound.
The Dusty Pedal Harp Pickup can be easily installed by harp owners who are handy with tools or by any instrument repair technician. Installation involves attaching mounting clips to the internal braces or sides of the harp, snapping the cable harness into the clips, gluing the elements in place, and drilling a hole and mounting the jack in the back of the harp. There are detailed instructions. The only tool you will need is a ½-inch brad point drill bit, available at most hardware stores or through Dusty Strings.If you prefer not to drill a hole, you can simply connect to the jack through the bottom soundhole on your harp.
Installation Instructions
Curious about the installation process? Download the instructions:
Pedal Harp Pickup Installation
Price
- Dusty Pedal Harp Pickup (35" long): $395.00
- ½-inch brad point drill bit: $14.95