"I find nylons keep their tone greatly longer than steel."

That's good to know. Thanks.

My dulcimer has steel strings. I notice that when I check the high strings with my Korg tuner, the needle sways quite a bit from sharp to flat and back. I'm going to change strings and compare.

For me, the problem with changing strings is not the money, it's the time it takes. Changing strings is a chore for me, right in the same category as cleaning the cat box and going to the dentist.

When I change mylon strings, I leave the guitar on the dining room table for several days, re-tuning it every time I can. It does take a few days to settle.

To change the topic from problems to pleasures, today I got the idea of playing Mouret's Rondeau (the theme from Masterpiece Theatre) on the dulcimer. It works well. Actually, it's so easy it almost plays itself.

I wonder if there was another section to that piece, because a rondeau is usually ABACA (or even more complicated) and the theme is merely ABA.