 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: emilliano
Date: 2006-03-14 20:17
What are the advantages and disadvantages of nickel- and silver plated keyworks? Is the silver one much better than the nickel one?
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Author: ElBlufer
Date: 2006-03-14 23:14
The Type of plating is simply for effect, as it does not affect how the clarinet plays.
My Setup:
R13 Clarinet (Ridenour Lyrique as my backup/marching instrument)
Walter Grabner K11 mouthpiece
Rico Reserve 3.5's
Bonade ligature
Post Edited (2006-03-14 23:14)
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Author: Simon
Date: 2006-03-14 23:35
My understanding is that Nickle plated doesn't wear as easily as silver plated.
Simon
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Author: Sean.Perrin
Date: 2006-03-14 23:38
Silver looks a lot sexier... and I reckon it weighs slightly more. The main advantage of Silver is that it doesn't corrode like nickel does, it only tarnishes a bit (which is easily fixable).
Founder and host of the Clarineat Podcast: http://www.clarineat.com
Post Edited (2006-03-14 23:39)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2006-03-14 23:53
I agree with Sean. Nickel tarnishes differently. It almost appears just foggy at first before it roughens or comes off completely.
If you are diligent about wiping off the keys every day, the silver will last a little longer.
The difference is in the "feel." Silver has more grip, which I prefer. The only drawback to "grip" is that sliding is a just a tad more of an effort (nothing that running your finger behind an ear for oil won't cure).
If you have high acidity in your system, only a gold plate will be truly resistant to this.
............Paul Aviles
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Author: hans
Date: 2006-03-14 23:54
Silver and nickel have different friction characteristics.
Re: "The main advantage of silver is that it doesn't corrode like nickel does, it only tarnishes a bit (which is easily fixable)."
It is best not to "fix" the tarnish, because it won't survive much polishing.
Hans
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Author: Ryan25
Date: 2006-03-15 00:32
Does anyone know if there is something you can put on nikel plate keys to make them resist tarnishing? Clear nail polish?
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Author: pewd
Date: 2006-03-15 03:19
my 30 year old nickel plated r13 has only been polished once - about 5 years ago - it doesn't tarnish very quickly.
silver plated horns i have get black with tarnish every 2,3 years and need to be disassembled and polished.
so i prefer the nickel one
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: marcia
Date: 2006-03-15 06:26
I have an almost 20 year old silver plated Buffet "A". The finish is almost pristine. I Have a 5 year old nickel plated Buffet "Bb". In some places the copper is showing through! But the rest of it is pristine. I prefer silver. One day when I am rich I might have my Bb silver plated.
Marcia
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2006-03-15 09:47
Ryan,
I had a quick self experiment with nail polish - DON'T DO IT !!!!
Hans mentions friction. With a coating of (dare I say) anything on the keys the result is like wearing kleats - the fingers go nowhere.
...........Paul Aviles
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Author: Apresence
Date: 2006-03-15 10:14
From my experience, nickel plated keys tarnish more easily then silver plated keys. It seems to make sense since silver is less reactive then nickel. Nickel plated keys also have a more mellow appearance compared to silver plated ones, which are more shiny. I always thought the silver plating can withstand ocassional polishing with a silver cloth, like before every concert, and not wear out, but I never had any first hand experience. On the other hand, there isn't really anything that can be used to polish nickel plated keys, except the plain old cotton cloth. Hmmm... I think someone told me not to use silver cloth on nickel because it turns the keys black or something like that. Well.. all these and the 'feel thing'.. not to forget the price..
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-03-15 10:32
All plating wears out.
It's strange that some nickel plated keys tarnish more than others - I've got a 30 year old plastic Yamaha and the nickel plate is immaculate (except for some scratches) but my 6-year old Vito Eb has dulled down a lot.
Nickel is normally applied very thin - only a few microns, but silver can be plated over nickel as nickel provides a nice smooth surface for silver to go onto. Silver plate is usually much thicker than nickel.
Though saying that, Leblanc applied their nickel plate very thick on their pro clarinets - and this blunts tools when fitting keys as nickel is very hard.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2006-03-15 10:44
Attachment: Silver&NickelFull.jpg (39k)
I am looking at both my silver plated R13 and nickel plated R13 right now. There are two main differences that I can tell. How they look - from a distance the silver looks shinier but when you look closely the nickel is clearer more like a mirror and the silver is like looking at a mirror in the fog, and their feel - the nickel has less friction if I slide my finger on the key, but when actually playing there is no difference in feel at all.
As far as wear, I played the nickel one from around 1992 to 1999 and the silver from around 1999 to 2004, and the nickel one has wear only on a tiny part on the register key, and the silver one doesn't have any wear at all. They have tons of stuff that looks like some strange dirt since I never clean the keys after playing and both have it in exactly the same places.
I never thought of plating as something that affects the sound in any way. When I bought the nickel R13 in 1992 I didn't even know what plating it had or even that there are different types of plating. I only found the nickel one has nickel plated keys a couple of years ago when I thought about selling it and found there is a differnt in price.
I attached pictures of the silver and nickel plated R13s if that helps in any way.
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2006-03-15 10:52
Nickel plating is often beneath the top layer of silver plating.
In effect, the nickel plated keys have more material at the surface.
Silver is also more ductile which implies faster wear.
In practice, the real difference between the materials on musical instruments is the reactivity of the material with a player's skin.
Replating can be done with a "brush kit" from Caswell, and it is NOT expensive.
Therefore, go with the one that you prefer for cosmetics. It's not as if it will wear to the point that your instrument cannot be played...
Post Edited (2006-03-15 10:52)
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Author: BobD
Date: 2006-03-15 13:07
The comparison photos of the two platings are the best representation of the situation I've seen. That being how difficult it is to describe the difference between their appearances.
Bob Draznik
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Author: nickma
Date: 2006-03-15 20:01
There's plating and then there's plating.
If you were to do a straw pole of 10 averagely used Selmer 10G clarinets in silver plate, then the same poll of their R13 Buffet equivalents, you'd find that all the Selmer's had plenty of platign left on all the keys, whereas the Buffets would be mixed. There's a lot to be said for nice thick plating.
I agree that Silver has more 'drag' than nickel, and for me, that's a feeling I prefer. However others might like a more slippery feel that Nickel gives.
Nick
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Author: myrnabs
Date: 2006-03-16 15:50
would you be able to tell me where to purchase this brush kit? My keys are starting to tarnish, better yet the copper is starting to show and I don't know what to do, I don't like it. But my instrument has sentimental value, since my father bought if for me in 1989. I guess buffet does take a long time to tarnish. Thanks for your help.
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Author: corks&pads
Date: 2006-03-16 18:35
Another difference is that far fewer people have allergic reactions to silver than to nickle. Although it's not all that common, some people develop skin rashes, redness, cracking of the skin, etc., from contact with nickle.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2006-03-16 18:56
Nickel makes your sound more, well, "shiny". Silver gives your sound a silvery sheen. Everybody knows that.
![[toast]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smiley15.gif)
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2006-03-16 21:56
Caswell sells an inexpensive kit;
http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/plugnplate.htm
Do read the instructions carefully, if the surface to be plated is less than clean, the plating will not properly form.
FYI - You may also need to have some nickel solution on hand, if the keys are worn down to the copper substrate... silver and gold will not stick to copper.
Nickel acts as an intermediate connector between plating layers.
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