I have a small old console with thin wound steel strings in the tenor they sound very bad (dead) I already tried cleaning and twisting them. The cost of new wound strings is a bit much for the value of the piano.. could I substitute heavy plain wire? How would I determine the gauges to use?

Thanks,
Melissa in Kansas

Wound strings are not that expensive. Get another estimate, just for those strings.

Schaff sells singles for about 10 bucks per I think....send the old ones as samples...

www.silverwoodpianos.com

These strings are probably wound with aluminum. DO NOT use copper wound replacements.

Melissa, is this an Everett piano? If so they are wound with aluminum.

no It is a Meissner

Suitable strings can be made with copper windings.

Worrying about whether they are copper or aluminum will only drive up the cost, and the piano is not worth it.

Agreed, but at least it would give a starting point to give better advice than, it's not worth it.

I just meant that this piano is not historical enough to worry about whether the parts are historically accurate and the cost that entails. Not to mention that copper wound strings are probably better in this case, because if the aluminum ones were better, the problem would never have arisen.

I am in agreement. HOwever if the strings are iron wound, then suitable copper windings are possible. If AL wound, then it would be best going to replace with plain steel as copper windings of suitable guage would be impossible.