 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2004-08-21 07:18
How can I find out if my Buffet R13 is is silver or nickel plated?
Thanks.
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Author: kdennyclarinet
Date: 2004-08-21 09:33
You could show it to a music instrument dealer, repairman, professional clarinetist, etc and someone will be able to tell you. Also, if it is an older instrument, if some of the keys look as if the coating has rubbed off in some places, then it is probably nickel plated. The silver plating does not rub off (or so I've heard and experienced). Also, the silver keys are not as "slippery" as the nickel plated keys. Anyone else have some good pointers on this one?
K. Denny
BME, MM, DMA
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Author: klarisa
Date: 2004-08-21 10:03
So far as i have experienced silver keys turn black in time. Nickel plated keys stay clean.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2004-08-21 11:38
Silver tarnishes black or gray and has a tendency to tarnish fairly quickly.
While nickel often remains shiny for decades, it too can tarnish but it tarnishes a brownish color and usually takes a very long time to happen.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2004-08-21 12:31
If you have any silver plated utensils at home make a comparison. It is difficult to describe how silver looks compared to nickel but when you see both side by side it is easy.
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Author: allencole
Date: 2004-08-21 14:41
This is almost like trying to verbalize chord changes, but here goes.
Nickel plating reflects light and images accurately--a mirror finish, if you will.
Silver (in good shape) will give off a brighter reflection and--with clarinet keys--will be less mirror-like.
As for older silver, the tarnish factor is a dead giveaway.
This description excludes "German Silver", which to my knowledge is not silver at all. I don't know if Buffet ever used it.
Allen Cole
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2004-08-21 16:28
Thanks a lot everyone.
allencole, I think your mirror explanation helped the most. I compared it with my prestige which is silver plated and the prestige was brighter like you said, so I assume the older R13 is nickel plated.
Thanks again.
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2004-08-22 02:29
Clean nickel plate has more of a "blue-grey" cast to it, whereas clean silver is...well...silver in color.
I second the "non slip" nature of silver plate. About ten years ago, I had all four of my horns (Bb and A sopranos, Bb bass, and Eb soprano) overhauled and had the metal work silver plated by Marvin up in Saint Louis. Prior to having this done, I suffered from the occasional "finger slip" on the long levers for the left little finger, but since the silver plating it's been no problumo.
The damn'd things look gorgeous under theatrical lighting...I get complements on the horns all of the time, usually when they are asking why the long saxophone is black and silver while the others are all gold...
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Author: BobD
Date: 2004-08-22 14:40
Well.....mirrors are backed with silver...that's why they reflect
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-08-22 15:18
With silver plating you must keep the keywork clean. Be sure to wipe off your finger oil after playing and use a silver polishing (for music instruments, NO PASTE!) cloth to clean it monthly or more often.
Finger oil builds up pretty quickly and does make it very slick. Take off the oil and it becomes no-slip once again.
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