Klarinet Archive - Posting 000179.txt from 1997/07

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: Buffet S1 E13 instruments
Date: Sun, 6 Jul 1997 20:44:27 -0400

I agree with you about the desirability of silver plating. The keys of my
nearly 30-year-old R13 has silver plated keys, and so I was quite
surprised to see that Buffet now says that the keys of the new r13's are
nickel plated.

Ed Lacy

On Mon, 7 Jul 1997, Brian Ackerman wrote:

> Sorry, it seems you may well be right about the nickel-plating. Here in
> England they are only listed as silver-plated, but you seem to have the
> alternative of nickel in USA.
>
> I can't see why anyone would really want nickel-plated keys. Surely most
> players would agree that silver-plating looks and feels much better! It is
> also more resistant to acidic fingers than nickel-plating.
>
> The unplated R13 is quite unusual and maybe it was a special order. It will
> tarnish quickly because the nickel-silver only has about 10% nickel in it.
> Older keywork that was designed to be unplated had about 18% nickel, and
> stayed bright much longer. Modern keys are designed to be plated, and
> therefore do not need the high nickel content.
>
> > On Fri, 4 Jul 1997, Brian Ackerman wrote:
> >
> > > there that are still nickel-plated. The R13 is not of course
> > > nickel-plated, as was also incorrectly stated in another mailing.
> >
> > I posted that information, and copied it directly from the Boosey and
> > Hawkes/Buffet catalog. I can't vouch for the accuracy of it, but only
> > reported what they themselves said.