 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Clarismatic_Gent
Date: 2007-07-02 04:49
Hey everyone! I work at a local music store, and I chatted for a bit with our phenomenal woodwind repair tech and he mentioned that he could get my clarinet re-plated through Anderson. He would then have to re-pad the entire clarinet, using cork pads on the upper joint.. for just a little over $200. When originally purchased, it had nickel plating. I tried a few silver plated horns, and I like the tone a bit better.
Three questions:
1) Is this a pretty good deal?
2) Is it any risk re-plating the instrument?
3) Is there anything I should ask or know before I do this?
I appreciate the help!
Dale Huggard
Michigan
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Author: jbutler ★2017
Date: 2007-07-02 11:26
Plating plus repad with cork for a little over $200....I wouldn't do it for that. The striping of the nickel, buffing, degreasing and plating would cost around $150 alone when sent to Anderson. I would ask the question again and confirm that the $200 price includes both plating and padding. There is quite a bit of labor involved here because the keys have to be fitted when they come back after plating.
jbutler
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2007-07-02 13:05
I would ask to see one that he had done before going ahead with it. It does sound like a good deal, if he's any good. And, if it's a good R-13 it would be worth having it done. I just spent $481.00 on an overhaul on a Leblanc clarinet that already had silver-plated keys and it didn't need anything that drastic. So, your $200.00 quote does sound a bit low. Check around.
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Author: Musinix
Date: 2007-07-02 14:06
My 1969 R-13 is nearing completion of a complete restoration with gold plating by Anderson. It's supposed to be done in about a week or so. The price of the overhaul was quoted at $500, plus $700 for two coats of gold with undercoating, so I'm expecting to total bill to be about $1200. This includes all of the posts as well, so all of the keywork had to be refitted. A well respected technician and board member is performing the overhaul. It's my first clarinet that was bought for me new in 1969 when I started playing at age eleven. Although it's a little high, it is my first clarinet so it has signficant sentimental value. According to the technician, they had to send some of the keys back to Anderson to have them redone as they weren't satisfied with the plating.
Thomas Fiebig
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-07-02 14:10
The silver plating won't make the tone any different to what it's already like. If it's being repadded it may speak easier than it does, so the response will be better, though there will be no difference to the tone.
The price sounds too good to be true - having all the metal parts prepared and plated (keys, pillars, key guide, speaker and thumb tubes, thumbrest and all socket rings), then fitted after plating (the screws will need to be refitted in the key barrels and pillars) plus a full overhaul with cork pads (and the toneholes will need tidying up as well - there's no point in fitting cork pads if the toneholes have imperfections). $200 is way too low for this sort of work and will only just cover having the parts prepared and plated (but not fitted), and as I said, it sounds too good to be true.
And if you are havng the keys silver plated, you ought to go for a minimum of 25 microns of silver - some makers only have 7-12 microns, but for a good quality finish and long term durability, go for 25 microns.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: susieray
Date: 2007-07-02 15:50
I noticed that you both work at the music store; so maybe as a favor to a co-worker he is doing the repad for you for nothing and the $200 is the quote for the replating? Although that still seems low!
Post Edited (2007-07-02 15:52)
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Author: DaveKessler
Date: 2007-07-02 16:20
Yeah, I can guarantee you that his $200 quote was simply for the repadding... and that is probably as an employee discount price. We charge $295 for a professional clarinet overhaul with skin pads, its extra for cork (but well worth doing)... but we are also a bit below the national average for this work (its Vegas baby!)
Anderson's is definately the place to get your plating work done at. However, keep in mind that it might take some time, so hopefully you are not in a rush. I stopped by Andersons 2 weeks ago when I was in Elkhart and they are the best there is... but they are busy.
Dave Kessler
Kessler & Sons Music
http://www.kesslermusic.com
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Author: C2thew
Date: 2007-07-02 16:45
dude he works at the music store so it is an employee discount.
i'm pretty sure that the replating cost isn't factored in the price. otherwise, that's a smoking hot deal
Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. they are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which was already but too easy to arrive as railroads lead to Boston to New York
-Walden; Henry Thoreau
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-07-02 19:53
Silver can be plated straight onto nickel plate as this gives a much smoother finish, so the nickel plating will probably be polished and then degreased before applying silver - no stripping of the nickel plate is needed at all.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2007-07-02 20:25
Great price, but it's not going to make a lick of difference to that Clarinet asto the tone.
None, nada. Yes, it will most likely feel a lot better from the silver against your fingers, but tonaly it's not going to do anything. The Silver Keyed Clarinets that you tried were probably just better sounding Clarinets. I do believe that materials make a difference, just not for the plating of a key which isn't making the sound whatsoever.
I'm a big proponent of the Silver plating, but only for the feel of it (less slippery)
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: Clarismatic_Gent
Date: 2007-07-03 00:26
Hey guys! Thanks for all of the great posts! It in fact does include the re-plating, and re-padding with cork on the upper joint. It is with an employee discount. I never, ever, pay for labor. Which is a blessing. Harald is a phenomenal repair tech. He has been doing it for years! I notice Chris P mentioned 7-12 microns and 25 microns. Can we elaborate more on this? I don't know what exactly that means...
I also seen that Musinix is getting his double plated with an undercoating. What is undercoating? Is that a good idea?
Thanks!
Dale Huggard
Michigan
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Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2007-07-03 02:44
Dale,
Your results will vary depending on how the underlying plating is worn and how the keys are prepared. I had this done on a clarinet in the early 1970's - they didn't do that great a job prepping the keys, and the prior plating layers (base, copper, nickel-silver) telegraphed through the new metal. Talk to your guy up front about the current status of your plating and how he will prep the keys before the are replated.
Is the instrument really that great that you want to go through all of that? I mean, have you recently played on a new instrument that has been gone over well? Just after I had mine done, I played on someone else's new R-13 and was, well, bummed that I wasted the money. But that was my instrument, and, you know, a lot of clarinet players are cheapskates. Me too. I have to admit that I always asked about price first, until I found out what it was like to pay more and get more. Which doesn't say that the guy who does your overhaul won't do a perfectly fine job.
It sounds like you will pay for the overhaul+replating is below the price of a high-end overhaul such as by Brannon's or Tim Clark. No I don't want to argue about whether these specific people are good or a good value. I just want to say that it sounds like this is not too bad a deal, but only if afterwards you will think it was worth it and the instrument is gratifying to play on.
Regards,
Ralph Katz
Ann Arbor, MI
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Author: abstruse_melisma
Date: 2009-10-08 04:34
Hey man, way to steal my username!!
Glad you're coming to the Extravaganza this weekend, anyway.
Hahaha
Devin T.B. Langham
Clarinet Performance Major
Michigan State University
interlude
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Author: stevesklar
Date: 2009-10-08 08:23
Before I got some work done from Anderson's several years ago I had asked them about Silverplating and gold plating.
Here is a quick description of how Anderson's like to do silver plating.
I had asked for a thicker SilverPlate such as 25 microns
"They need to be stripped of the old finish (which is most often nickel plating), buffed, polished, and degreased"
"Our normal silver plating is .0003 to .0005 inches thick. Which converts to 7 - 12 microns. In order to get the minimum you are asking for (the 25 microns) we would have to do triple silver plate.
Two main concerns we have with this is cost effectiveness and reassembly. That much plating on the threads and in the holes is going to make reassembly a chore. Also the longer the keys remain in the solution they have a tendency to not be nearly as bright as keys on a shorter run. Something to do with electron transfer and all that, would take me too long to give a seminar on electro-plating"
I'm not an expert on plating and that is what I was told. hope that helps ..
But key, post & spring fitting has to be reworked after plating.
I preferred the "brighter" silverplating. Thus I got the thinner 12m. I haven't had work done in 25m so I can't compare. BTW, they do an excellent job.
==========
Stephen Sklar
My YouTube Channel of Clarinet Information
Post Edited (2009-10-08 08:36)
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