 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: derf5585
Date: 2015-03-28 03:33
Advantages and disadvantages of different platings?
fsbsde@yahoo.com
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2015-03-28 03:48
This has been discussed here many times. Just use the search facility.
Tony F.
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Author: ClaV
Date: 2015-03-28 03:51
Silver's pros: nice pleasant shine, antimicrobial properties.
Silver's cons: not compatible with hard rubber, tarnishes (some people's sweat can be quite corrosive/degrading), softer.
Nickel's pros: harder, more durable, compatible with hard rubber.
Nickel's cons: less lustrous/dull, many people has sensitivity/allergy to nickel.
Better (best?) solution: rhodium plating or hardened gold (such as Yamaha's Hamilton - which I learned is more a loose description of a colour rather than specific alloy specification).
Plating should not have any effect on clarinet sound despite some claims.
Post Edited (2015-03-28 03:54)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-03-28 04:24
Silver plate is usually applied thickly to keys - up to or maybe even more than 25 microns, so it will last well (the common trend is 1 micron per year, so a life expectancy of 25 years). Silver plate can be maintained easily and brought back to a bright shine through hand polishing with a polishing cloth if it tarnishes (or silver polish on more stubborn areas). Silver is a very soft and 'grabby' metal, so easily cut and worked with hand tools. It has good grip properties when things start to get damp through perspiration.
Nickel plate is applied thinly - up to around 10 microns at the most. It is a very hard metal but will tarnish and can't be polished to a bright shine once it has dulled to a matt grey unless it's machine polished which often means removing pads and key corks as they may otherwise get dirty, damaged or come adrift during polishing. Nickel is very hard wearing on cutting tools, so fitting keys with nickel plate can be a challenge and tools will have to be sharpened regularly. Nickel is a very smooth metal, so excellent for use as an undercoat for silver plate to adhere to, but on its own it can be very slippery under the fingers with increased perspiration.
Some people have allergies to silver but more have nickel allergies, so less and less clarinets are being offered with nickel plated keys - even entry level Yamaha and Buffet B12s have silver plated keywork (in the UK anyway).
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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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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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2015-03-28 04:44
High quality polished but unplated nickelsilver gives in my opinion by far the best compromise between excess slipperyness and excess friction. Just the marketting folk don't like it - not pretty enough - and of course would show up all the flaws in the lower quality alloys that are often used today.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-03-28 04:55
I like unplated keys for the mere reason any scratches or damage can be burnished, sanded or filed out as well as they can be cut, converted, etc. and the bare metal finish won't be compromised as any damage can easily be cleaned up and polished out to blend in with the rest of the keywork. Unlike plated keys of all kinds will require replating following any kind of operation.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2015-03-28 05:21
My fingers slide all over the place on nickel-plated keys, and I feel insecure. Silver-plated and unplated German silver have just the right amount of friction (again, for me).
If I need to slide, I use a bit of "nose oil" - rubbing the finger beside my nose. There's no equivalent way to increase the friction on nickel. And anyway I'm slightly allergic to it.
Ken Shaw
Post Edited (2015-03-28 05:21)
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Author: TomS
Date: 2015-03-28 21:15
Many think silver has a better feel than nickle. And my body chemistry eats through nickle pretty fast ... I get better life with silver plating. I guess gold might be the best ...
Unfortunately, I mostly play hard rubber clarinets, and silver is not an option, due to the sulfur content tarnishing silver more quickly ...
Tom
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