Introduction: Recently, the company formerly known as Dick (now Dictum) has come out with two new models of wolf eliminator, the first of which I will review today. Each of them is quite innovative, and they are very different from each other.
About the "Button": This, like the "New Harmony", is a contraption conceived in a moment of genius. The wolf eliminator consists of two threaded half-buttons, one of which features a string slot. The two halves are simply screwed together over the string, and voila! Simple, painless, elegant.
Fit & Finish: This wolf eliminator is, quite frankly, cute as a ... well, you get the idea. It is made of nicely polished brass. In fact, it is a little too polished -- I wish the sides were knurled (or textured in some other way) to provide better purchase for the fingers. As it is, the last quarter-turn to tighten the wolf elliminator onto the string can be difficult to execute due to finger slippage. Occasionally, it happens that the thread is not quite cleanly cut, which makes it impossible to tighten it all the way, causing a nasty rattle. This is definitely something to watch out for before you take your cello out of the shop.
Price: At around fifteen dollars apiece, the "Button" is one of the more affordable models on the market today. If you have it installed by a professional, expect to pay for their time -- however, it is user-friendly enough for a player to install it without outside help.Conclusion: This wolf eliminator, notwithstanding the fact that it is a one-size-fits-all, has worked well on most instruments I have tried it on. As with all the other models, there is some trial and error involved to determine the optimal string to use it on, as well as the best placement on the string. In my opinion, it is a close runner-up to the "New Harmony" in the "usability" category, and a winner visually!
