Klarinet Archive - Posting 000834.txt from 1999/08

From: Anne Bell <bell@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] RE:German silver
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1999 17:16:30 -0400

I have a circa '50 something R-13 that has unplated keys. It was pretty=
funny- when I first started taking private lessons my Grandfather had given=
me the instrument. My teacher found a wonderful repair person to send it=
to (I just wish I remembered who it was!). While we were discussing what=
was to be done he said not to bother having it polished or whatever because=
the plating was all worn off. The keys had green spots as well as being=
very dull and brownish. A few weeks later I arrived for my lesson and he=
was playing a beautiful new looking instrument. I assumed he'd gotten a=
new clarinet and asked if I could try it out. Lo and behold it was mine! =
The keys had been taken off and polished to a silvery sheen. I believe=
Buffet will still sell them that way and it appeals to me very much. There=
is no problem with spots wearing through the plating. If anything the touch=
spots are shinier than the rest of the keys. I've heard some people=
complain that nickel plating is too slick- I've not found that a problem=
with the unplated keys. It does require occasional polishing. I just=
looked and can't see the solder marks.
Anne

At 10:24 AM 8/27/99 -0700, you wrote:
>I don't understand why keys are now nickel-plated -- why not just polish up=
the
>unplated German Silver/Maillechort? Then there would be no problem with=
plating
>wearing off. Does nickel plate have a different feel than Maillechort? Or=
am I
>wrong in guessing that keys used to be unplated? My Series 9 Selmers from=
the
>early 60's look unplated to me, but I'm not going to grind off a bit of a=
key to
>find out for sure.
>
>Can you see solder joints on unplated keys?
>
> --Doug
>---------------------------
>Doug Sears dsears@-----.org/~dsears
>

******************************************************************
Anne Bell bell@-----.net

Anne Bell's Clarinet Website Index; =20
ABC Index: http://www.sneezy.org/anne_bell/

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