Hello All: The board has been quiet lately so I thought I'd pass along a helpful little tool I made for making string changing easier. Frustrated with trying to form perfect rectangular shaped nooses (loops) to fit on the bone tailpiece of the Mangla, I decided to make a form tool I could wrap the string around to get perfect loops consistently. This tool really saves time, especially making loops in those thick bronze bass strings. I started with a piece of aluminum bar stock about 3� X 1� X �� and using a metal file, formed graduating steps into it that match each of the rectangular shaped teeth/post thingies (what do you call those) on the tailpiece, that you attach the string loops to. Using cheap picture hanging wire for test fitting, I wrap the wire around the form, bending it tightly over the corners of the form, and then twisting in the traditional way, to form a rectangular loop. Keep forming test loops and filing away at the form tool until your loops fit the tailpiece posts perfectly. I found that I only had to create 3 different �steps� in the form to make loops that would fit all the posts. Hope this saves you guys some valuable playing time - K.K.
