Is Silver Plating the Answer?
It is true that silver plating a horn has many advantages. Silver plate is a finish where the horn is coated in a very thin layer of pure silver. This has the effect of changing the color of the instrument, as well as providing some protection from tarnish and corrosion. Silver is a metal with high nobility, so it will corrode but only slowly. Wiping the horn down once a week or so is enough to keep it quite bright and shiny. Nickel plate is similar, but the coating is pure nickel instead of silver. Now, nickel plate or silver plate are not to be confused with nickel silver or sterling silver horns. Some horns are made out of a type of brass called nickel silver, which is actually just brass that is white in color rather than yellow in color. Nickel silver (also known as “white brass”) is normal brass (a copper-zinc alloy) with some nickel added to the mix which changes the color. Finally, some horns have “sterling silver” or “sterling silver plus” bells. This means that the bell is actually made from silver, not just coated with it.
Silver plated horns have several advantages. First, a silver plated horn sounds just as good as a raw brass horn because the silver does not affect the sound of the instrument. Secondly, the bond between silver and brass is very strong (unless there was a manufacturing defect) so silver plate does not chip, crack, peel or flake off like lacquer finishes can sometimes do. Finally, silver does not burn at soldering temperatures, so it is not as badly affected as lacquer by solder repairs.
Unfortunately, silver plate also has several drawbacks. These are mostly because silver is very porous; at the microscopic level it resembles a sponge, all full of holes. This can cause two problems: Firstly, when a broken connection is resoldered on a silver instrument it is very common for some of the solder to escape from the connection and get on surrounding areas of the instrument. On a lacquered instrument this is not a problem since solder will not stick to the lacquer, and on a raw brass horn the solder can simply be wiped off and then the area can be polished. On a silver horn, however, the solder is absorbed by the holes in the silver, and once this happens it is almost impossible to remove. This means that when a silver instrument is repaired the results are often messy and somewhat unsatisfactory.
The second possible problem with silver’s porosity is essentially the same as that caused by damaged lacquer. Eventually the sweat from a player’s hands will work its way through the silver and begin to attack the brass underneath the silver plate. This can have various effects, ranging from “orange peel” effects in the finish to pitting in the silver plate to a vigorous eating away of the brass where the player holds the horn, causing the surface to become rough and chunky. Some players with particularly corrosive perspiration will begin to experience these problems within months, others will be fine for years. If the silver is scratched badly then this can accelerate these issues, the same as with lacquer.
Is Nickel Plating the Answer?
Nickel plate can be a very durable finish. It is harder than silver plate, so it is very difficult to scratch of scuff, and it is not porous, so it is not affected by solder absorption or by the player’s sweat soaking through the finish. There are a couple of downsides, though. Nickel is a less stable metal than silver, so it is much more difficult to get a reliable finish to stick to the horn. If the plating job is successful then it can be very durable, but often nickel will develop problems with bubbling and peeling of the finish over time. Some people also feel that the hardness of the nickel finish has an effect on sound quality, and some people also feel that nickel has a cheap “chintzy” look when compared to silver.
Is Gold Plating the Answer?
Gold plating is indeed a very good finish for an instrument. It is completely tarnish and corrosion resistant, it is not porous like silver and it doesn’t burn, chip or peel. It has only one drawback, and that is that gold dissolves easily in lead, so it is difficult to resolder broken connections without them looking messy. There is of course one other factor to consider, and that is the expense. Since it is so expensive to have a horn finished in gold, it is not really practical unless you have the money.
It is true that silver plating a horn has many advantages. Silver plate is a finish where the horn is coated in a very thin layer of pure silver. This has the effect of changing the color of the instrument, as well as providing some protection from tarnish and corrosion. Silver is a metal with high nobility, so it will corrode but only slowly. Wiping the horn down once a week or so is enough to keep it quite bright and shiny. Nickel plate is similar, but the coating is pure nickel instead of silver. Now, nickel plate or silver plate are not to be confused with nickel silver or sterling silver horns. Some horns are made out of a type of brass called nickel silver, which is actually just brass that is white in color rather than yellow in color. Nickel silver (also known as “white brass”) is normal brass (a copper-zinc alloy) with some nickel added to the mix which changes the color. Finally, some horns have “sterling silver” or “sterling silver plus” bells. This means that the bell is actually made from silver, not just coated with it.
Silver plated horns have several advantages. First, a silver plated horn sounds just as good as a raw brass horn because the silver does not affect the sound of the instrument. Secondly, the bond between silver and brass is very strong (unless there was a manufacturing defect) so silver plate does not chip, crack, peel or flake off like lacquer finishes can sometimes do. Finally, silver does not burn at soldering temperatures, so it is not as badly affected as lacquer by solder repairs.
Unfortunately, silver plate also has several drawbacks. These are mostly because silver is very porous; at the microscopic level it resembles a sponge, all full of holes. This can cause two problems: Firstly, when a broken connection is resoldered on a silver instrument it is very common for some of the solder to escape from the connection and get on surrounding areas of the instrument. On a lacquered instrument this is not a problem since solder will not stick to the lacquer, and on a raw brass horn the solder can simply be wiped off and then the area can be polished. On a silver horn, however, the solder is absorbed by the holes in the silver, and once this happens it is almost impossible to remove. This means that when a silver instrument is repaired the results are often messy and somewhat unsatisfactory.
The second possible problem with silver’s porosity is essentially the same as that caused by damaged lacquer. Eventually the sweat from a player’s hands will work its way through the silver and begin to attack the brass underneath the silver plate. This can have various effects, ranging from “orange peel” effects in the finish to pitting in the silver plate to a vigorous eating away of the brass where the player holds the horn, causing the surface to become rough and chunky. Some players with particularly corrosive perspiration will begin to experience these problems within months, others will be fine for years. If the silver is scratched badly then this can accelerate these issues, the same as with lacquer.
Is Nickel Plating the Answer?
Nickel plate can be a very durable finish. It is harder than silver plate, so it is very difficult to scratch of scuff, and it is not porous, so it is not affected by solder absorption or by the player’s sweat soaking through the finish. There are a couple of downsides, though. Nickel is a less stable metal than silver, so it is much more difficult to get a reliable finish to stick to the horn. If the plating job is successful then it can be very durable, but often nickel will develop problems with bubbling and peeling of the finish over time. Some people also feel that the hardness of the nickel finish has an effect on sound quality, and some people also feel that nickel has a cheap “chintzy” look when compared to silver.
Is Gold Plating the Answer?
Gold plating is indeed a very good finish for an instrument. It is completely tarnish and corrosion resistant, it is not porous like silver and it doesn’t burn, chip or peel. It has only one drawback, and that is that gold dissolves easily in lead, so it is difficult to resolder broken connections without them looking messy. There is of course one other factor to consider, and that is the expense. Since it is so expensive to have a horn finished in gold, it is not really practical unless you have the money.