Protecting plain wire from rust

[J Patrick Draine]

You might look into <http://www.puresound-wire.com/> if you're  
interested inl wire that won't rust -- it's stainless steel!  Jim  
Busby gave an excellent presentation to the Boston PTG Chapter in  
which he recounted (among other topics) his experience of restringing  
8 pianos at BYU with their wire.
It was developed specifically for early instruments, but can be used  
on modern pianos with low tension scales. E.g., good results with  
smaller Steinways, apparently NOT advisable for a Yamaha.
Meanwhile, I'm not putting any goo on pianos under my supervision.  
Roslau did sell a tin coated wire, but I only heard complaints from  
those I know who tried it.
Patrick Draine
On Mar 25, 2006, at 12:15 AM, Mark Schecter wrote:

> Hi, all. Here's something I've been wondering about.
>
> In pianos with rusty strings, I use Protek on the strings where  
> they pass under the capo, and where they pass through the agraffes,  
> as well as on the counterbearing felt, to help ease rendering. It  
> works, and seems to keep on working for at least a few months,  
> maybe longer. I have often wondered if there is any substance (such  
> as, oh, maybe, Protek?) that people use on clean, shiny strings to  
> prevent rust or tarnish ever developing? I could imagine taking  
> whole rolls of wire and dipping it in a bath of XYZ-stuff before  
> stringing, or sponging it on in the piano.
>
> We are instructed to coat practically every other metal surface in  
> every device in our lives (think car) with something or other, so  
> why not piano strings? I guess we could expand the question to  
> include copper-wound bass strings, too, if anyone has any thoughts  
> about those. I'm interested to hear people's ideas.
>
> -Mark Schecter