[T]his year, I bought a couple of Suzuki Hammonds (which have
black painted covers) primarily because I just liked the way they
looked. Surprise! The tone was darker, warmer and fatter than the
Promasters. I asked Oz Leguizamo at Suzuki customer service about
this. Oz told me that the Promasters and the Hammonds are made to
identical specifications, but because the Hammonds have painted cover
plates, the tone is darker. When I asked Antony Danecker what effect
painted cover plates have on tone, he essentially confirmed what Oz
had told me.
Painted vs, unpainted cover plates is not a topic that had received
much attention, but I, for one, have a definite and long standing
preference for painted covers. Now I pay more to get Hammonds,
just like I used to pay extra to get Pro Harps. There is a subtle,
but definite, difference in tone when a harp has painted cover
plates. Sometimes, I used to wonder if it was just my imagination.
But now, after talking to Oz and Antony, my belief has been
validated.