I just chatted with EBarnacle & Lady Hillary at the memorial for Dick Greenhaus about her autoharp.
I have 3 older ones which I assume are similar, and I see nothing quite like she describes. To attach the loop end of the strings, I have only pins to take the loops. Could those grommets/washers... whatever... be someone's invention to address a problem?
She intends to send me a picture to show me the issue and we'll scheme...

More later, just for public interest...