Rust on the Strings

Do NOT use ANY product, especially on copper. Wound strings can "deafen". Only superfine steel wool. With patience.

Ok! Thanks Paolo! I think steel wool no. 0 will be fine? !! I just need to find a way to prevent the residue from falling onto the soundboard! 😳

And just shove a large sheet of paper in through the bass side. For other sections, always paper inserted alongside the frame crossbars. The 0 is fine, but don't overdo the cleaning..... ultimately, cleaning alters, even if minimally, the gauge of the strings.

Understood!! Thanks a lot Paolo.

Lorenzo

Hello everyone, I wanted to ask for a little information. The copper strings of my upright piano were practically washed and polished during a hysterical crisis of my mother. This has led, as pianoexpert said, to a "deafening" of the wound strings. Now this poor piano has bass notes that sound like the "lute" register of a harpsichord, almost like a 'harp' especially in the low-mids where there is the string crossing... it has only been 24 hours but it hasn't changed much... I was wondering if there is any possibility they will return to how they were before, given the prohibitive cost of replacement, or if they will remain like this... I am a bit desperate about this thing.... thank you very much in advance for the answer.

I believe they will remain like that. I cannot give you a remedy. Liquids damage the adhesion of the copper winding, creating oxide that comes between the copper and the steel.

They must be remade IDENTICAL by taking good measurements and knowing how to assemble them.

I feared there was no remedy, thank you so much truly.

I am personally opposed to this procedure

I agree, especially because dismantling and reassembling all the bass strings of old pianos carries the risk of breaking quite a few...

... even if the visual and sonic result (will it last?) doesn't seem bad at all