Klarinet Archive - Posting 000458.txt from 1995/03

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: Key plating
Date: Thu, 16 Mar 1995 13:50:01 -0500

I had two clarinets chrome plated and the results were and still are
magnificent. I have never had trouble since the plating. The keys
remain shiny bright and no amount of wear seems to injure the plating.
I can't speak for acid conditions since I don't have one and have no
experience with the chrome plated clarinets.

The biggest problem is getting a plater to do it. They will chrome
plate a car bumper or the car, for that matter, but they don't do
little things. On my last overhaul I asked Clarke Fobes to please
get both instrument chromed but he could find no plater in the
SF area who would do it.

I have a C clarinet made in the late 1800s and a Selmer full Boehm
instrument made before 1950 both chromed and they look magnificent.
Some people have told me that the keys are slippery and this makes
the instrument harder to play but I have not found this to be the
case.

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Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
(leeson@-----.edu)
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