 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: crelias11
Date: 2021-01-06 17:27
I have a silver Van Doran clarinet ligature. My daughter has the same one. We haven't played since March but her ligature was nice and shiny when she got it out yesterday, mine had turned black. My Ubel keys are always tarnishing. I have my mouthpieces in a different room. The ligature was in the case. I have silver anti tarnish strips in the case and the case is open a crack. Should I close it or is there some kind of chemical reaction between the case and the silver. My bassoon keys are silver, no problem. I had to have the clarinet keys cleaned professionally because after a couple months in the case due to no playing because of the virus, the keys had turned black. Any suggestions?
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Author: Johan H Nilsson
Date: 2021-01-06 21:26
Is it a brand new Uebel case and clarinet? Are the keys that are in contact with the textile in the case more tarnished than the other keys?
If you wipe the ligature clean after usage and store it in a sealed plastic bag with an anti-tarnish strip there's no way it will tarnish.
Post Edited (2021-01-09 22:03)
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Author: DG74
Date: 2021-01-06 22:52
Don’t leave the case open a crack. The silver is reacting to oxygen causing the tarnish. I use anti tarnish strips and have never had tarnish on my keys but I close the case completely after drying my instruments thoroughly.
A good tech can safely remove the tarnish for you. Polishing cloths can apparently damage silver plating if used too frequently.
The Vandoren ligatures tarnish easily but it won’t affect them aside from the appearance. However if the tarnished ligature is in the case it may be accelerating the tarnish of the keys. I don’t store ligatures in the case for this reason. Their plating isn’t as high quality as the keys and they’re more reactive.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2021-01-06 23:29
Some cases, the types of materials they're made from and the adhesive used in their construction can cause silver plate to tarnish like anything, especially when they're closed.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2021-01-08 01:20
Respect for above comments about effects on the plating, I've always had good luck using a Selmer silver key polishing cloth every so often in addition to tarnish strips.
Other than that, the only other two methods of know of to "stop the tarnish" involve the 25th amendment or a 2/3rds vote of the Senate in favor of removal from office subsequent to Impeachment.
Sorry.. I just couldn't resist the latter today in light of world news.
Post Edited (2021-01-08 01:21)
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Author: Djudy
Date: 2021-01-08 01:25
Urban air pollution is the great enemy of silver plate; it is amazing how fast plate tarnishes since we moved to a busier neighborhood with more truck traffic. I do not leave my instrument out when not in use anyway. I've also heard that hard rubber reacts with silver but don't know if rubber and silver are affected mutually. I always keep my mp in a separate compartment , with its ligature. My Optimum tanished badly but now I'm using a Luyben which I much prefer so no conflict there.
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2021-01-08 09:11
I've never really paid any attention to how my ligature looks. I guess it's a bit tarnished over decades. But, my Buffet, bought 22 years ago new, still has almost new looking shiny keys. After each playing I blow hot breath on it and wipe it with one of those instrument cloths. I would guess that works for ligatures as well. No advice if it's already tarnished.
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Musicnotes product no. MNO287475
Post Edited (2021-01-08 09:12)
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Author: Michael E. Shultz
Date: 2021-01-08 18:06
Actually, silver tarnish is caused by its reaction to sulfur. Since hard rubber contains sulfur as part of the vulcanization process, storing mouthpieces in the case can be a problem. Silver also reacts to salt water. Since salt is present in perspiration, this can also be a problem.
Apparently, some clarinet cases contain sulfur compounds, which will cause tarnishing even in the absence of a hard rubber mouthpiece.
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2021-01-08 18:36
Well, back in the day when we all had silver silverware, it was a given that you needed to polish regularly..........and not many boxes of silverware had vulcanized rubber in them :-)
Oxidation is just that, exposure and reaction with.......oxygen. Granted the above mentioned "irritants" exacerbate the issue but that's just life with silver.
I think that may have been why Buffet had a dogged adherence to nickel plating in the '80s. Not really reactive to air but there was the tendency to be more subject to the vagaries of the natural occurring acid in perspiration.........there is just no winning.
.........except maybe with gold
................Paul Aviles
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Author: Johan H Nilsson
Date: 2021-01-09 19:51
Paul Aviles wrote:
> Well, back in the day when we all had silver silverware, it
> was a given that you needed to polish regularly..........and
> not many boxes of silverware had vulcanized rubber in them :-)
Sulfide is in the indoor air. Comes from the food, especially eggs.
> Oxidation is just that, exposure and reaction
> with.......oxygen. Granted the above mentioned "irritants"
> exacerbate the issue but that's just life with silver.
The tarnish on clarinet keys won't happen with only oxygen.
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Author: crelias11
Date: 2021-01-09 21:24
I bought the brand new Ubel in December 2019. Played until March 1 then covid hit. I have silver strips in the case and it was closed. The case is a tight fit and there is a leather case cover on it as well. I had it professionally polished. Then it started to turn again. The keys weren't black this time except a little on the side keys and the silver ring at the joints. I cleaned it up and put it in another case\ as an experiment.
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Author: crelias11
Date: 2021-01-09 21:27
My instrument is always in the case when not in use. Mouthpiece is not in the case. I have silver tarnish strips. On here One say close the case one says keep it open a crack.
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Author: Johan H Nilsson
Date: 2021-01-09 22:01
"The keys weren't black this time except a little on the side keys and the silver ring at the joints."
Side keys=trill keys on the upper joint?
I had an instrument where *only* the areas that were in contact with the textile in the case got tarnished. This does not seem to be the situation here.
If the tarnishing only happens in areas that you touch with your fingers, you are the suspect and should wipe off the instrument after usage. Just a little soap and water in a micro-fiber cloth.
If it happens randomly, the air in your apartment is to blame. You eat too many eggs. :-)
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Author: crelias11
Date: 2021-01-09 23:10
I always wipe keys off when done. The first bad tarnish happened when case was closed for a few months after covid hit and no playing. In May I had it cleaned. Then I noticed the tarnish coming back. My bassoon has silver keys no issue. I will try to find out what the case is made of, glue etc. I put it in a different case and I'll wait. Ill keep researching and experimenting. Hopefully I'll be back to playing again when I get the vaccine. Sounds like it will be awhile though..
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2021-01-11 09:25
It might seem like it didn't tarnish while you were playing it and then happened while it was in the case, but since you haven't played in almost a year it seems, it's also possible that you just didn't notice it tarnishing in the first few months when you saw it regularly. Now, many months later, there is a "sudden" change.
Even if you checked it occasionally, much more time has past and it probably tarnished much more regardless.
It sounds likely that it is the case or the environment in general of the case. In addition to the above, airing it (when playing) and wiping it after might have helped slowing it, even if it was still happening.
Your other instruments not tarnishing is a good sign that it's not you, but it's not definite since it could be a reaction with a specific instrument.
Wiping can help but the metal is porous to a degree (not visible) so left overs are always there.
It does sound like the case is the main difference so first thing worth checking.
For example, my clarinets mostly never tarnish. I have a back up bass clarinet neck, actually only half a neck, since I use a neck and half regularly and they are in my main case (i.e. so it's even the same actual neck with same plating, no from different years, etc.). I leave my mouthpieces and swabs in that case too. Next to no tarnish. The other half neck is in a carton box with reed boxes for about a decade unused, and it's the most tarnished plated instrument part I've ever had.
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