On 01/07/2015 02:41 PM, Simon Claessen wrote:
  well,
 Good news always has some bad news as well. After careful examining of
 the 952 (no, not 850...) pins, I found 52 broken ones. As they are made
 of a gold plated springy metal wire, I needed to find a replacement.
 Size: 0,5mm diameter.
 Guitar wires are out. They are way to flexible. I opted for fosfor
 bronze wire, but could not find it in the shops in Amsterdam. Then I
 stubled upon a shop selling beads and stuff to make bracelets and
 earrings. They sell "memory wire", A very tough silver coated wire of
 0.6mm. I have no idea what the alloy is, but the mechanical
 characteristics are not bad. 
Drop in to a good musical instrument repair shop.  Flutes, for instance,
use phosphor bronze wire springs; clarinets tend to use stainless steel
springs; dulcimer wire is typically phosphor bronze.  I've even used
harpsichord bronze wire to fashion pins to convert a SIMM to a SIPP.  It
solders well.
An instrument repair shop is also an excellent place to fine flat blue
steel springs.
--Chuck