High gloss polyester of the modern Asian piano etc probably came in the 60s. But pianos of the 40s would probably have been polished to a fairly high gloss, using hand rubbing methods, with rottenstone (a VERY fine abrasive) as the last step before the polisher. So if true authenticity is wanted, the finish would probably have a higher sheen than many or most satin finishes of today, but it wouldn't look like the thick gloss poly finishes either.
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Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm@unm.edu http://fredsturm.net "When I smell a flower, I don't think about how it was cultivated. I like to listen to music the same way." -Federico Mompou
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-26-2014 17:25
From: Peter Stevenson
Subject: History of high-gloss finish
I have been asked to help source a black baby grand for a theatrical production that takes place in New York in 1944. I would think that high-gloss piano finishes would not have been around back then, but I thought I'd ask the experts to make sure. When did manufacturers start doing high-gloss?
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Peter Stevenson RPT
P.S. Piano Service
Prince George BC
250-562-5358
ps@pspianoservice.com
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