The only time I've even seen a zither, I couldn't afford the depost for a test drive, so it might not be the same thing but... My knee-jerk reaction was autoharp pins. They are quite a bit larger (in diameter) than the pins on my HG and are not tapered. The pin-head is square, so the tuning wrench (key) might be a bit more difficult to make than the slotted type. Might be easier to buy. I have one that sez "Elton" on it, "Oscar Schmidt" would be another decent guess. They seem to have a low irony index and don't get lost like Harp tuners or a "tourne-a-gauche" ( which is so losable I keep it on a long sring actually tied to the head of the instrument). OK, Scott, here's the joke: So when my mom sez "You'd lose your head if it wasn't tied on." I can say "Actually, it's glued on, The tourne- a- gauche" is tied on"...
She doesn't laugh either... There is a tool that is similar in principle to a pin vise or perhaps a chuck, I'll have to shop around for the name of it. Anyway it has the 4 jaws and can be adjusted a bit by screwing a threaded collar down. It has a right angle bar running thru it. It makes a useful, but inelegant substitute (when my harp tuner goes AWOL for awhile: It just came back smelling like pina colada and cocoa-butter...must have had a better time that I did...) Anyway, take my word for it, neither pliers nor a cresson wrench works. Anyway good luck with the pins, I have been wondering about that myself. The Harpsichord Solution might fit contemporary technology and sounds do-able, but Keep us posted.... --- Barbara Currier <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >Does any one know of a resource for the "traditional" narrow tapered > >pegs (and probably a tapered reamer as well!) used for mounting and > >tuning sympathetic strings on old-style French hurdy-gurdies? > > > >~ Matt > > Would zither pins do? That was my husband's first response this > morning when I asked him. > > Barbara >
