Old string set questions - WWII Andreas Morelli Heavy Gauge stainless chrome steel

[murrayatuptown]

This is just a trivia/history question.

The guy who worked on my archtop in 1988 gave me three sets of strings he said people just loved. I have never met anyone with even an option about them.

Unfortunately for history, interest & trivia's sake, I had given one set to someone who liked the heaviest, deadest strings he could find. The set I gave him had printing on each individual string sleeve that said Made in Germany, Occupied Territory. So that dated them to the end of WWII or slightly afterward.

The two remaining sets I have are in identical plastic pouches but are marked Made in West Germany.

They are in glassine paper envelopes with a piece of what I assume is anti-corrosion paper. I wanted to measure them to know what 'heavy gauge' actually was, but I can see the high e has some rust spots, so I leave them alone.

I wonder who the heck would want strings approaching 80 years old, but at 43 years old the donor swore they were valuable to some players. He's gone, so the mystery is just for me to ponder.

What I read about Andreas Morelli is that it was a German company that used an Italian sounding name for marketing, and they also made or distributed orchestral instruments.

A friend in Northern Italy says the tall blond people in northern Italy think they are Italian, but are probably Austrian or Swiss ;O). Andreas sounds like that part of the world...add an 's' to Andrea and they are 'transformed'.

Someday I'll get over feeling like I'm disturbing a crypt, and measure them, so I know what to tell someone who has strange taste in strings.

The strings on my first archtop I have never seen since...0.015 or 0.016" high e and 0.060" low E. Got a new nut because of that!

Thanks

Murray

[murrayatuptown]

With each decade, more info appears on the 'web.

Andreas Morelli was apparently a trade name on some violins built around 1920 in Markneukirchen, but the wording below suggests a possibility it was an actual person...but that is the 2nd reference I have found, over many years, to a trade name and not a real person.

MORELLI, Andreas Worked circa. 1920 Markneukirchen Germany. Trade name branded on instruments made by Karl Herrmann in Markneukirchen c.1920.

[murrayatuptown]

They are 0.014" plain to 0.060" flat that look like tape to me, rather than ground.
I didn't look at the 3rd to see if it's wound but they have part numbers that skip one sequential number, 1601-1602-1604-1605-1606-1607, so I guess 1603/1604 might be the decision for wound or plain 3rd.

[RJVB]

Could these strings have been made by Pyramid?

A friend in Northern Italy says the tall blond people in northern Italy think they are Italian, but are probably Austrian or Swiss ;O)

The north-east part of Italy (Trentino) may feel like Austria when you come from further south and the north-west part (Val d'Aosta) like France but I think you'll realise much more clearly that you're in Italy when you cross the border from either of those countries Still, ownership of those regions has changed a few times over the past few centuries.

[murrayatuptown]

Interesting links. Thank you

In other 1926 news on one of those pages

Loud Store Robbed
During the past month thieves entered the Robert L. Loud Music Store, Buffalo, N. Y., and escaped with a small amount of cash.

Specializing in Loud Music?

[Mick-7]

Loud Store Robbed

My guess is they did not hear the thieves breaking and entering.

I understand this store was very popular with those who are hard of hearing.

[RJVB]

Better check if a follow-up article reports whether the thieves escaped with their tympans intact in addition to the small amount of cash!