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Re: Why silver plated keys?

Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-03-28 04:39

Silver is a pretty rugged material and has more luster (ever hear of anyone going out of their way for chrome plated jewelry?).

I find that if you tend to have an acidic system, it's going to effect nickel/chrome as much as silver. But we also need to differentiate amongst the thickness of plating. Most plating that we see on horns here in the US is pretty thin (only a few microns at most). So you'll have problems pretty much no matter what material is used. Much like what is marketed for the European market, the last two models of Uebel Boehm clarinets are very thickly silver plated (over ten microns) and are far more resistant to wear over time. Of course if you diligently wipe off yours keys after each time you play (with a soft cloth), you can avoid most corrosive issues.

To clarify the Hamilton plating on the Yamaha CSG is a gold and nickel hybrid. The plating is more corrosion resistant due to the gold content but due to the thickness of plating being only a couple of microns you WILL see wear within a year of really heavy use.

There is is a different "feel" to the keys given different plating that can be a significant factor to the player. Silver can 'feel' more 'draggy' if you tend to do a lot of sliding (Richard Stoltzman preferred nickel for many years due to the ease of sliding). Actual gold (if you can find it available) is a good compromise in that it is anti-corrosive and slides well. Although some players prefer the "sure-footed" feel of silver.

.............Paul Aviles

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