Piano Wire is okay but won't have a nice finish on it. I have found that Stainless Steel welding rod is just right for the job. I bought some at Home Depot. Not sure if they still sell it though.

No, you will snap the old, already bent ball guides if you go to unbend them. Just start with fresh stock like we are all suggesting.

Take your broken one and match the diameter when you go to buy the suggested rod stock.

It was fairly common for these to break at the top on later games due to how strong they got hit and how much play games like EBD saw. Also, many of the were staked at the bottom with a small fin to help they cut into the playfield and stay. This made the material weaker right below the top of the playfield surface and they would break off leaving the lower tip in the wood.

DotheDoo,

I really like your swooping feeder lanes. It appears on a number of games but usually with a thicker material so they would hold their shape and position. They could be a killer especially on games with the mini post like Xenon since it could go up and out, rattle a bit, and then drain. Which SUCKED!!!! LOL.