Dusty Strings harps were originally designed to sound and perform beautifully with nylon strings, but some players prefer gut strings for the more tactile feel or the slightly warmer, darker tone. On our harps, gut strings are a bit less bright than nylon, but maintain the essential character of the Dusty sound. (The exception to this is the Boulevard 34, which was designed specifically for higher-tension pedal gut strings, and has a darker sound with less sustain than our other models.)
Lever gut strings can be ordered as a special option on any new harp (except for the Boulevard, Serrana, and FH26 Double-Strung), or you can switch from nylon to gut later on if you choose to. On our 34- and 36-string harps, the middle 18 strings are gut, and on the 26-string harps, the middle 16 strings are gut.
Lever gut strings are smaller in diameter than pedal gut strings, and are designed to be more lightly tensioned. Using heavier pedal gut strings on your Dusty Strings harp can damage the harp and will void the warranty. (Again, the exception is the Boulevard, which is designed specifically for pedal gut strings.)
Please note that because gut is a natural substance, its tensile strength varies much more than nylon, and it can be more prone to breaking. We cannot guarantee a lifespan on harp strings.
Ordered as an option on a new Ravenna 26, Allegro 26 or FH26: $220
Ordered as an option on a new Ravenna 34, Crescendo 34, FH34, FH34S, FH36H or FH36S: $270
For existing Dusty harps, replacement sets of gut strings can be found here.
