<HTML>In a message dated 9/14/0= 1 9:22:22 AM Central Daylight Time, jajones2@facstaff.wisc.edu writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-= LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Wim, Are these strings brass or look like brass?  If so I would check t= he composition of the metal.  My experience is with brass looking wire,= which was another metal that was low tension.  I can’t remembe= r  but it was call phorphorous something>   The strings in= the low bass area have been replaced.  However the sound timbre has ch= anged.</BLOCKQUOTE> The bass strings are "brass" and are the ones, for the most = part, that are breaking. One thought I had on this is that there are three n= otes with .025 brass strings. I don't have any more of that size, but I do h= ave .024 in steel. Would that be a good substitute, or does the timbre chang= e too much? <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px so= lid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">   &n= bsp;Enjoy harpsichord work !    As Avery points out,  th= is is part of University work that isn’t in the manual.  How we= re the harpsichords maintained before you arrived?   My position i= s that the harpsichordist and student players should know how to maintain, t= une, and regulate their own instrument.  Being that the adjustments and= tuning change before you  put your hammer away,  the performers n= eed to be able to do their own maintenance.  Between regularly schedule= d maintenance  -  keep in tune....</BLOCKQUOTE> <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px so= lid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Joel </BLOCKQUOTE> I was told the previous tuner did tune them, but I have a feeling he onl= y tuned them when someone said it needed to be done. I plan, from now on, to= tune the h'chords and the fortepiano on a regular, once every other week ba= sis, whether they get used or not. (plus, of course, before a concert). Beca= use of the bad shape they were in, I put a note by each one that no one is s= upposed to try to tune them, and that if someone does want it tuned, or if a= string breaks, they are supposed to fill out a piano repair form. I guess I= need to find out who the h'chord players are, and perhaps give them a lesso= n on tuning etc. Thanks for your thoughts on the matter. Wim </HTML>