Strings of gold

[Jon Page]

At 08:27 AM 5/15/2002 -0700, you wrote:
>Hi everyone,
>Yesterday I had a new discovery:  It was a small Schomacker grand built
>in 1923.  At first glance I thought someone had sprayed the plate and
>ALL of the strings, because they were all gold (or brass-, or yellow,
>etc.)-colored. All the plain wires and even the bass strings, core and
>wrappings.  They sounded dull with only minimum sustain.  On closer
>inspection, it looked like the piano had been restrung and this was the
>actual color of the strings.  In 23 years, I've never seen this before.
>I don't recall any discussion on it either.
>
>Can anyone enlighten me?  Is this what Mapes gold is all about?
>
>jeannie
>
>Jeannie Grassi, RPT
>Associate Editor, Piano Technicians Journal
>mailto:jgrassi@silverlink.net

That was Schomacker''s marketing ploy: gold plated strings.
I don't know what they claimed; better tone, no rust...

Mapes Gold Series wire is not gold plated, I suppose to represent a standard
rather than physical characteristic.

Regards,

Jon Page,   piano technician
Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass.
mailto:jonpage@attbi.com
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