My biggest pet peeve about the typical hardware Lowe's/Home Depot modern screws is that the threads are way too shallow, almost to the point of useless. They seem little more than tapered nails with a Philips or slotted head. Thus with little effort they strip out because of insufficient "grip". It's almost impossible to find Blued screws anymore, everything is zinc plated. In many applications I've started using drywall screws although I prefer not to use these for piano applications for aesthetics. These screws are made of harder steel with deep threads that really grip, (there are course and fine thread versions in stores, you have to look). The drawback of these is that they tend to be a little more brittle so you have to be careful not to over torque them or they may break off. Then your REALLY screwed... <ha>. On a side bar I ran across a very interesting and stupid cadium plated screw situation some years back. It was on a spinet and the factory screwed down little nickel plated brackets to the end of the keys for the drop sticker wires. They were absolutely covered in a yellow-ish green corrosion. Think about it.... nickel, cadium.... batteries. They were incompatable metals producing a corrosive chemical reaction. Duh! Rob Goodale, RPT Las Vegas, NV
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