hi helen,

it's a celtic harp (salvi mcfall, 38? strings). i am touched by your concern. : ) actually, though, all that frustration and swearing is related to playing the thing, not tuning it. i have a tuner and i'm not ashamed to use it. though lately i have been trying to build my ... um ... ear muscles? by tuning instruments without electronic assistance. sure does make the final product sound homespun. *grin* is it my imagination, or is there some sort of added nobility in being able to tune perfectly without a tuner? some of my guitarist friends are so quick and deadly accurate; i watch them in awe.