Author: paul
Date: 2000-01-06 14:53
...and silver plated keys require a bit more maintenance.
I personally prefer to use a tarnish prevention scheme instead of an active tarnish removal strategy. Prevention of tarnish has a couple of great advantages. First, it's the lazy person's approach. Do as little as possible and get away with it. Second, since there is no silver removed, the plating has the potential to last for years longer than you would have with tarnish removal.
Here's the prevention scheme I use. I wipe down all of the keys and key pads with a clean soft cotton rag after I'm done with my playing session. I then store the horn in the closed case with a tarnish prevention strip. Every 6 months or so, I replace the strip in my soprano clarinet's case. A small box of ten strips costs about $5 US retail.
I've used this prevention technique for a couple of years on a brand new horn and it seems to work pretty good. But, as most folks will tell you, only time will tell.
Personally, I'd never use a harsh chemical or a rouge cloth for tarnish removal. Sure, they remove tarnish, but you should look at the gobs of silver that go with it. To me, it seems like a lose-lose situation.
I prefer win-win through prevention instead. I don't spend much time worrying about tarnish and I believe the keys will last longer.
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The Clarinet BBoard
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