Klarinet Archive - Posting 000461.txt from 2004/11

From: "dnleeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] silver keys
Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2004 13:35:22 -0500

I cannot speak for the aesthetics of others on this matter, but I
have gold plating on my basset horn not because of anything
tactile or betterness. It is rather that I find the material
beautiful, just as find cocobolo wood beautiful. And when I play
on something that is (in my opinion) aesthetically beautiful, I
think I play better.

I like silver because it can be shined to a high gloss and nickel
looks lousy (to me). I even chrome plated two clarinets because
they always were shiny.

Is it possible that one's playing is postively affect by
aesthetic elements? I always had my fingernails manicured before
important concerts, and for the same reason. But insofar as
utility is concerned, the keys can be made out of black pot metal
or cast iron (with all of its ugliness).

Dan Leeson
DNLeeson@-----.net

-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Flavel [mailto:tom@-----.net]On Behalf Of Tom
Flavel
Sent: Friday, November 12, 2004 9:55 AM
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: [kl] silver keys

Hi,

I have a question to which I've never been able to find a
satisfactory
answer: Why are silver (plated?) keys considered "better" than
nickle?
I'm struggling to see how they'd affect the sound, so I assume
it's a
purely tactile preference...

For that matter, why are flutes made of silver? Does it produce a
better
tone because of the inner surface of the bore is made of silver?

If so, would an ideal sax be made of silver, too? I assume brass
is
therfore used because a solid silver saxophone or trombone, etc,
would
be prohibitivley expensive (though I've seen $14k solid silver
flutes,
which I believe somebody was mentioning in another thread).

And the thought occurs that metal clarinets and the other
"silver" brass
instruments must be made of nickle, then?

Ok, so that was several questions :)

Thanks for any input,

--
Tom

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