Hi Chet------Want my advice? (Everyone rises and screams "F**K NO!!!"

Ya' got it anyway as builder of hammered dulcimers I got a "thing about strings."

Don't boil them----yeah it will work, but the heat ain't good, it's a serious mess, and boiling strings is pain in the ass making you feel like the proverbial monkey fucking the football. If you're going to go to this much trouble, replace them.

How old are the strings? Yeah, scotch brite type pads and vinegar does work, but although the strings may look better, the sound improvement will be marginal. This may be worth your time. Whatever you do, DO NOT USE any cleaning agent with OIL in it. Getting even tiny amounts around the tuning pins may allow it to seep down and loosen them, a bigger problem.

Why not just replace them? Instruments with LOTS of strings look intimidating, but they're not as bad as they seem. Worried about finding strings? Send me some details about your instruments and I can probably help. Use the personal message or my e-mail and I can hook you up with gauges and sources for piano wire in smaller quantities.

catspaw