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Re: Tarnished Keys

Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-08-11 15:36

At a rehearsal one evening I noticed the lead alto player had a strange looking flute with him - at first glance I thought it was a Matit carbon fibre one as the lip plate was shiny in contrast to the rest of the tubing, but it turned out to be a Yamaha 211S with a handmade silver headjoint and gold lip plate. The silver was so tarnished it was a dark purpley-brown colour. All the other sax players (including myself) had shiny silver flutes.

Since rehousing my freshly silver plated old Buffet Eb clarinet in a Buffet case, the plating has tarnished possibly due to whatever they've used in making the case with, and not the light tarnish that can be removed with a silvercloth as it's gone very dark, but still has a shine - almost like black nickel plate.

It could be the dye in the fabric, the glue used to stick it onto the plastic inner with, the foam in the lid cushion or maybe the actual plywood used to make the case or the glue used to glue the plywood together that contains sulphur - or the mouthpiece which was brand new (Vandoren 5RV). Other clarinets I've had replated by the same company within a year of having the Eb plated are still nice and bright, and they've got older ebonite mouthpieces in the case with them.

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

Post Edited (2009-08-11 15:37)

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Date

Tarnished Keys new

Jacob S

2009-08-10 22:59