Mark Cramer wrote: > Can someone provide me with an "idiot's guide" to installing string on a > harpsishord? Yes, the tuning pins w/o holes. > > much thanks, > Mark Cramer, > Brandon University Mark, The idea is to make a small downward flag of wire with the end of the string and wrap the windings around that, thus effectively trapping the string to prevent slipping. Sounds lame, but it works very well. After hooking the string on the hitch pin, hold it gently taught standing at the front of the instrument and cut off enough extra past the pin hole to give you several windings around the pin--perhaps seven or eight for the treble, and fewer in the bass. It is important to prevent overlap of the bottom winding by the string as it rises up to meet the level of the nut, as the stress this causes is often a source of breakage; hence, fewer windings where the tuning pin and nut are closer together. >From there, one holds (depending on whether left or right handed) the string in one hand and tuning pin in the other, and bringing the string along side the pin with the string end pointing toward the threads, (or where they would be if there aren't any) leaving about a 1/4 inch of string as a downward pointing flag, and firmly holding the flag in place on the side of the pin, turn the pin (making a 90 degree angle in the string about where a string hole would normally be) and spin the pin catching the flag under the first winding, then keeping the string taught, keep spinning the pin catching the flag under successive windings until you are at the tuning pin hole. Then, continuing to hold the string taught, turn the pin back to vertical position and shove the end in the hole. Tap it down to same height as its neighbors, and the job is done except for positioning over the nut and bridge by the appropriate jack(s). With a little practice, this can be done very fast while keeping those windings nice and tight against each other and the flag. Obviously, continuous tension on the string and efficient movements are the order of the day. I know it sounds complicated, but it is MUCH easier shown than described. I tend to hold the pin with the tuning lever facets to my left, and wind the top of the pin over toward me counter clockwise, but that's just personal preference. Do you need info on making the 'pigtail' for the hitchpin end? Good luck! Greg Granoff
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