Dusty Strings P30 User manual
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ank you for choosing the Dusty Harp Pickup. It will amplify your harp accurately and be very easy to use. e P30 has been
installed in numerous makes and models of pedal harp with great success. Please read these instructions all the way through, and
make sure you understand each step before you start.
Dusty Harp Pickup Installation
Model P30 – For all Pedal Harps
Installation Kit Contents and Diagram of Pickup
Pickup Elements (4)A.
Grommets (5)B.
Pickup HarnessC.
JackD.
Pickup Locating TemplateE.
Short Clips (4)F.
Tall Clips (4)G.
Jack ClipH.
Pressure StickI.
Super GlueJ.
Cable Ties (4)K.
½" WrenchL.
Jack-Tightening PinM.
Tools Required:
Awl•
Ruler•
Pencil•
Damp Cloth•
Masking Tape•
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Step 1: Prepare the Harp
Lay your harp so the soundboard is parallel to the oor, with1.
the soundholes facing up (see gure 1). It is important to get the
soundboard as level as you can. Prop your harp up securely, with a
carpet or other padded surface under the pillar and the base.
To ensure that the pickup elements and harness clips will adhere2.
well, use a slightly damp cloth to wipe any dust or debris o of the
inside of the soundboard and the soundboard lining along the le
side of the soundboard (see gure 2). is step is absolutely nec-
essary. Clean any surfaces where you will be attaching the clips
and pickup elements. If you don’t, the adhesives will not stick and
pickup elements and/or harness clips may come loose. Don’t as-
sume that it is clean even if you can’t see any dust. Dry to remove
any trace of moisture.
Step 2: Mark Pickup Locations
Find the pickup locating template provided in the installation kit.1.
Poke an awl or a nail through the center of the four circles that
have two lines through them (see gure 3).
Slide the template into the harp through the bottom soundhole,2.
“Treble End” rst.
Place the template on the back of the soundboard with the edge3.
against the le side of the string rib (see gure 2).
Position the template so the “Middle C” arrow points directly at4.
the middle C string. Tape the template in place.
Mark a pencil dot through the holes you made in the template.5.
Carefully remove template from inside the harp.6.
You should now have 4 clearly visible pencil dots on the sound-7.
board. Placing the pickup elements at these locations will result in
the best overall tonal quality when amplifying your harp.
Figure 3 – Template
Pickup location marker
Figure 1 – Prop up the harp
Figure 2 – String Rib & Soundboard Lining
String Rib
Soundboard
Lining
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Step 3: Attach Harness Clips and Harness
Carefully slide the pickup harness into the harp through the bottom sound hole.1.
e vinyl tip should be towards the top of the harp. Be careful not to let the jack
drag or bump on the harp.
Position the harness along the le side of the soundboard so that the pickup ele-2.
ments line up with the locations marked in the previous step.
Mark an ‘X’ at 4 locations along the le side of the harp where clips can be located3.
to hold the harness in position, following the guidelines above. In many instal-
lations the locations of the clips will be similar to where the grommets are posi-
tioned on the harness when the pickup is shipped to you.
Remove the backer from the self-adhesive patch on one of the harness clips.4.
Orient the chamfered corners away from the soundboard and5.
use the spacer to hold the bottom edge of the clip up o of the
soundboard during installation (see gure 4).
Firmly press the clip into place over the ‘X’ on the soundboard6.
lining, keeping it as square to the soundboard as possible.
Repeat for the remaining clips.7.
Slide the rubber grommets along the harness so they align with8.
the clips while allowing the pickup elements to line up with the
marks on the soundboard.
Press the rubber grommets into the clips. It is not necessary to9.
twist the clips together.
If desired, unused grommets can be removed from the harness by10.
carefully cutting with scissors or diagonal cutters.
Note: Please read this section carefully before attaching clips. e interior structure of pedal harps varies signicantly across
manufacturers and models. Finding the best attachment points for the harness clips will be le to the installer, based on the
following guidelines:
e goal is to attach the harness in a location that allows the pickup elements to be glued in the marked locations without•
putting the lead wires under tension. See gure 5 for an example .
Neither the clips nor the lead wires should contact any surface inside the harp except at the point where they are glued.•
e clips should not be attached to the soundboard itself.•
If the clip location is close to the soundboard, insure that it doesn’t touch the soundboard by placing a spacer on the sound-•
board to raise the clip slightly while you are attaching it. A paperclip, thin coin, or 3 business cards will proide enough
clearance to prevent unwanted vibration (see gure 4). Aer the clip is securely in place, remoe the spacer.
Most installations will use either three or four short clips. Four tall clips are included for special situations.•
Figure 5 shows an installed pickup in a Lyon and Healy harp using four short harness clips attached to the soundboard•
lining between the aluminum body ribs. Venus harps will be similar.
If you have a Sali harp, use three short clips mounted to the edges of the wooden body ribs, making sure they are aligned•
so that the harness is straight.
Figure 4 – Harness Clips and
Spacers
Spacers
Chamfered
Corners
Figure 5 – Installed Pickup in Lyon and Healy harp
Soundboard
Lining
String Rib
Pickup
Element
Short Harness Clip Body Ribs
Pickup Element
Lead Wire
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Step 4: Glue Pickup Elements in Place
Note: Aer you place the pickup element on the soundboard, you will
only have a few seconds to correct the position. Aer that, do not attempt
to remove it, as this can break the developing glue bond. If you break the
glue bond, you will have to carefully remove the glue residue from the
soundboard and the pickup element using 150 grit or ner sandpaper.
e lead wire should naturally curve away from the soundboard1.
(see gure 6). If necessary, adjust the pickup harness in the clips to
ensure that the lead wires won’t touch the soundboard and cause
unwanted vibration.
Start with the top pickup.2.
Apply the super glue to the pencil dot.3.
Keeping the pickup element parallel to the soundboard (to ensure4.
an even thickness of glue), press the pickup down rmly and
quickly onto the super glue and hold in place with the provided
pressure stick (see gure 7).
Important:5. Hold rmly for two minutes to ensure a complete
glue bond. We recommend using a timer to make sure you hold
the pickup in place for a full two minutes.
Proceed with the next pickup element, and so on, until all are6.
done.
Step 5: Install Jack
Note: If you have also purchased the Dusty Harp Jack Clamp, please follow
the instructions included with it for installing the jack and tting the clamp
on your harp (see gure 11). More infomation about the clamp can be found
on our website at www.dustystrings.com.
Route the free end of the pickup harness and the jack down1.
through the hole in the base block and pedal box (see gure 8).
Apply the adhesive-backed jack clip to bottom of the pedal box2.
on the right side, just forward of the A pedal. Place an extra har-
ness clip on the edge of the base block to position the wiring har-
ness to keep it clear of the pedals and pedal springs (see gure 8).
Figure 7 – Pressure Stick
Pressure
Stick
Pickup
Element
Caution: Once the elements are glued on, they are very dicult to remoe without damaging the pickup or the soundboard.
ere are a couple of techniques that it is a good idea to practice rst:
Practice manipulating and placing the element.
Hold a pickup element by its lead wire, and guide it into position in the air over the pencil dot, parallel to the sound-1.
board surface.
Position the element shiny side down, and practice using the pressure stick to press the pickup element down onto the2.
soundboard.
Work with this until you have a feel for manipulating and positioning the elements.3.
Practice controlling glue.
Find the super glue practice dots located on the Pickup Locating Template.1.
Touch the tip of the tube to the paper and squeeze out just enough glue to ll the circle. is should be less than a drop.2.
is is enough glue to bond the entire surface of the pickup to the soundboard without excess drips.
When you have a feel for the right amount of glue, begin gluing the pickups in place.3.
Figure 6 – Installed Pickup Element
Lead Wire
Tall Harness Clip
Figure 8 – Installed Jack
Harness Clip
Base Block
Jack and
Clip
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Dusty Strings • 3450 16th Ave. W., Seattle, WA 98119 • Toll free 866-634-1656 • www.dustystrings.com
Make sure the tip nut is tight. Loose hardware on the jack can create an unwanted3.
rattle.
Insert the jack as shown4. (see gures 9 & 10). e clip should seat down onto the
threaded portion of the jack, between the tip nut and the hex nut. e two wash-
ers should be next to the hex nut.
Close the clip until it locks. You should hear and feel a distinct click.5.
Tighten the hex nut snugly.6.
Note: Being mounted on the bottom of the pedal box makes the jack a little vulnerable
and care should be taken to protect it when moving the harp. Alternately, this same clip
could be used to mount the jack inside the lowest sound hole of the body, or the Dusty
Jack Clamp can be used (see gure 11). e most professional (and permanent) method
of mounting the jack is to drill a hole for it through the side of the pedal box (see gure
12). is should only be done by an experienced harp technician. If you choose to do this
yourself, the included ½" wrench and jack tightening pin can be used to secure the jack (see
figure 13).
Step 6: Check the Harness Wires
If the wires between the harness and the jack are excessively long, they will need to be
secured to prohibit contact with the pedal mechanism. Using the enclosed black cable
ties, bundle the excess by gently folding the braided wires into an elongated S-shape and
wrapping one or two cable ties around it, trying not to make hard creases in the cable at
the bends.
Step 7: Test
Use an instrument cable to plug the pickup into an amplier and lightly tap the backside
of the soundboard near each pickup element to make sure each is giving a signal. Let the
glue cure over night, and avoid moving or jostling your harp during that time. e tone
and signal strength will improve over the next day as the super glue cures to full hardness.
Step 8: Practice at home before your rst gig!
Of course, next you’ll want to plug your harp into your amplier and try it out. Just a bit
of advice if we may: get thoroughly comfortable with setting up and plugging in your
sound reinforcement gear before you get to the rst gig where you’ll be using your new
pickup. Try out all the controls on your amplier so you will understand how they aect
the sound and what your possibilities are. If you can, get someone to listen and comment
as you play. When you get to the gig, this will give you the condence you need so you
can concentrate on your music, knowing that you are projecting a quality sound.
Congratulations! e installation process is complete. Please give us a call with any questions.
Figure 9 – Jack Clip
Clip Opens Here
Figure 10 – Jack in Clip
Tip Nut
Hex Nut
Figure 12 – Jack Mounted on Side
Figure 11 – Jack Clamp
Figure 13 – Tighten the jack
rev. 6/28/13
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