Hi, all, Sorry to have been so long without replying. I've gotten nylon strings on with the useful advice of the list; thanks! Holding the pins worked except for the highest, and there I turned the peg around so the slot didn't allow the knot to slip up. The sound is not bad, not great, and I think I'll try Nylgut when I've recovered from holiday expenses.
For Eugene's question below, no prying is felt! I'm not sure about the interior construction of the guitar (I don't have an inspection mirror), though a peek at the interior of the pin holes looks like only bridge and soundboard, so it seems that it doesn't have a plate at least. The workmanship, both exterior and what I can see inside, seems to be nice enough; clean and tight. I'll 'fess up that it is an ebay special from Republic guitars of Austin (I think) Texas; the proprietor says that it's "built to the specs of late 19th/early 20th" models", though it's clear he's expecting people to play blues on it. Further 'fessing is that I'm more interested in playing Bateman and Foden than Giuliani and Sor on this instrument, so it seemed like a good fit. And if it doesn't work, I'll just have to put the steel strings back on and brush up on "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean". Thanks again for the advice, Chris. >>> "Eugene C. Braig IV" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 11/26/2007 9:54 am >>> At 06:16 PM 11/25/2007, Christopher Stetson wrote: >Hi, all, >Thanks for the advice. > >Yes, mine has quite a bit of velocity when it leaves home, too. BTW, it's >the 1st string (standard issue classical guitar nylon) that's given me >trouble. I've gotten the overspun 6th string to stay in just >fine. Haven't tried the others yet. I"ve tried the holding in trick, but >haven't gone to full tension, assuming it would need to stay in on it's >own eventually. Rob, do yours hold at pitch after you hold it in? > >To Jelma; it's new guitar, though not from a artisan builder. I thought >it was a problem with peg fit, but a guitar dealer said no. It made >sense, since a steel string stays in just fine, so I assumed it was the >missing "ball" that was the problem. I fugured that the knot (I've got 4 >stacked up on each other now) was slipping into the slot and applying >pressure vertically to the soundboard, thereby pushing the pin out, >whereas the ball (I imagine) gets lodged under the board and therefore >applies pressure to the pin horizontally to the soundboard, thereby >pushing the pin against the side of the hole. Anyway, I'll try the paper >trick. > >I'm sure it will work out. > >Best, >C. Is this a new guitar built to carry steel tension? If I may pry, what make? A modern build for modern wire strings will almost certainly have a heavy X-brace positioned specifically to prevent "bellying" of the soundboard under high-tension steel...and not be particularly well responsive to gut or nylon. Carry on with my best wishes, but just be aware the sound might not be that for which you'd hoped. One affordable alternative that is a bit closer to but still isn't quite like 19th-c. guitars (although it is designed to function properly under nylon or even gut) is the La Patrie "Motif": <http://www.lasido.com/lapatriee.htm> La Patrie is a brand of the same company that makes the Seagull "Grand" parlor guitars. Regarding the double knot I'd mentioned for b and e' before, it's like a simple overhand/half-hitch typically used to put a knot mid-string; however, pass the tag end through the loop twice before tightening the knot. Best, Eugene To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
