Klarinet Archive - Posting 000240.txt from 1995/10

From: David Blumberg <reedman@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Finish on keys
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 17:46:35 -0400

Another Possible remedy to the silver being worn off is to wipe off the
silver plated keys after playing with a cloth (even a wash cloth will do) to
remove the acid from the keys. That might help a lot. (also put silver strips
in your case to prevent tarnish of the silver if that's a problem.
David C.
Blumberg

----------
From: Klarinet - Clarinettist's Network on behalf of
niethamer@-----.BITNET
Sent: Tuesday, October 10, 1995 1:06 PM
To:
Multiple recipients of list KLARINET
Subject: Re: Finish on keys

On Mon,
9 Oct 1995, John Baetens wrote:

> At 01:11 PM 10/9/95 -0800, Merrill
Mitler wrote:
>
> >I have a 4-year-old Buffet Bb professional level
instrument.
> >The plating on the many of the keys is worn-off. My
repairman
> >says that I, like many people, must have a high level of acid

> >in the oils on my fingers. What has been the experience of
> >the group
with this phenomenon? With what material should I
> >re-plate? Can I get
stainless steel keys?
> >
> Most of the clarinettists I know who claim to
have a lot of acid
> in the oils on their fingers are the ones who practice
4 hours
> a day! Consequently, most of the clarinets I have seen with
>
the finish worn off the keys sound a whole lot better than me
> and my shiny
keys.

I regularly wore through the plating on my Buffet's, but have had no

problems with my silver plated Yamahas. According to my basson colleague
in
the RSO, there are different alloys of silver, and the thickness of
the
plating enters into the equation as well. If you tarnish or wear
through
silver as well, there is chrome, which is slippery but almost

indestructable.

I think one of the mechanical points to replating keys has
to do with
preventing the wear on the 5 rings and LH thumb ring, which
becomes
excessive once the plating wears away. It then becomes harder to get
the
keys to cover properly, and those rings bend and go out of adjustment

more readily.

David Niethamer