What is lacquer?
Lacquer is a clear-coat finish that is applied to most brass instruments. It can be in the form of a paint, a powder-coat, or a baked epoxy finish, but it is similar to the clear protective finishes found on many common items such as wooden furniture, automotive clear-coat enamel, or the clear protective sheets that can be applied to the screens of electronic devices.
Lacquer has two basic functions, both of them aesthetic: firstly, it protects the horn from minor surface scratches and tiny dings, since the lacquer will scratch or chip instead. Secondly, it prevents the horn from acquiring light surface corrosion (often referred to as a “patina”), keeping the finish shiny. We will discuss some of the more common types of lacquer below.
Note: Companies do not guarantee the clear plastic finish or lacquer on new instruments. The plastic coating is only there to protect the horn while it is in storage before it is purchased, but as soon as the horn is bought there is generally no warrantee or guarantee of any kind. This is because in most cases lacquer only lasts for a few years of use before it begins to degrade. There are several examples of this lack of coverage in the Manufacturer Guarantees page of this section.
Lacquer is a clear-coat finish that is applied to most brass instruments. It can be in the form of a paint, a powder-coat, or a baked epoxy finish, but it is similar to the clear protective finishes found on many common items such as wooden furniture, automotive clear-coat enamel, or the clear protective sheets that can be applied to the screens of electronic devices.
Lacquer has two basic functions, both of them aesthetic: firstly, it protects the horn from minor surface scratches and tiny dings, since the lacquer will scratch or chip instead. Secondly, it prevents the horn from acquiring light surface corrosion (often referred to as a “patina”), keeping the finish shiny. We will discuss some of the more common types of lacquer below.
Note: Companies do not guarantee the clear plastic finish or lacquer on new instruments. The plastic coating is only there to protect the horn while it is in storage before it is purchased, but as soon as the horn is bought there is generally no warrantee or guarantee of any kind. This is because in most cases lacquer only lasts for a few years of use before it begins to degrade. There are several examples of this lack of coverage in the Manufacturer Guarantees page of this section.
Baked Epoxy Lacquer
“Baked epoxy” is a term that is applied to finishes that have been either sprayed or painted on and then baked in an oven to cause the finish to harden and fuse with the brass. These tend to be the best finishes that are applied to older horns and they are still widely used today. Some baked epoxy lacquers will not fuse properly with the brass or over the years their adhesion to the brass will become weakened. This can cause them to flake off in large chunks.
The advantage to baked epoxies is that they are often thinner than either traditional clear coats or nitrocellulose lacquers. This means that they don’t affect the sound quality of the horn to the same degree as other lacquers do. Baked epoxies are also generally much harder than other finishes, which means that they are more scratch resistant. These finishes are also very stable, so they are not as affected by age or exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
Since baked epoxies are so stable and also because they have been pre-baked to cure the finish, they do not tend to burn or discolor when they need to have a broken connection resoldered. However, the stability and hardness of baked epoxies also means that they don’t expand and contract with temperature change as rapidly as the brass that the instrument is constructed from is able to do. On modern horns baked epoxy finishes are applied in an extremely thin coat in an effort to reduce any sound distortion caused by the finish. This combination of rigid stability and a very thin coat can sometimes cause problems. On some of these horns washing the horn in hot water can cause large sections of the finish to become detached from the brass and flake off, since the brass expands more rapidly in the heat than the epoxy finish.
Note: This finish was used by Conn in the later years of the Elkhart era.
Powder Coating
Powder coats are a relatively recent innovation in the brass instrument world. Powder coat is a finish that is applied in powder form to the instrument and then baked to liquefy the powder. The result is an even, consistent finish that is essentially one large, single piece. Powder coating combines the flexibility of nitrocellulose with the stability of the baked epoxy finish.
One other major advantage to the powder coat finish is that it results in a much more even coat to the entire instrument (including the nooks and crannies) than is possible with any of the more traditional finishes. This finish also results in a very thin coat with excellent adhesion properties. This finish is more durable than other finishes, but once it is scratched or chipped then the underlying brass will begin to be affected in the same was as with other finishes.
Note: This type of finish is what is applied to Yamaha instruments today.
Clear-Coat Paint
“Clear-coat” is a term that can be applied to many different types of clear protective finishes. They can be sprayed, dipped, or applied by hand. What they all have in common is that the finish is applied to the instrument and then allowed to dry into a plastic (polymer) coating. Many of these have been applied to horns over the years with varying degrees of success. Often these finishes will have been applied unevenly with sections of the horn lacking any protective finish and other sections having a very thick coating applied. To prevent a lack of protection these finishes are often applied in a very thick coat which can deaden the sound of the instrument and affect the tone quality.
Depending on the type of clear-coat used these finishes may have a tendency to chip, flake off, or burn at extremely low temperatures. Many clear-coats are also easily damaged by ultraviolet radiation. If the horn is exposed to sunlight for too long then the finish can turn yellow, crack, become very brittle, or even begin to flake off. Once a section of clear-coat has been compromised, environmental factors can begin to affect the surface of the brass itself underneath the clear-coat in the ways discussed in the section on damaged lacquer below.
Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Nitrocellulose was up until recently the most common type of finish applied to brass instruments. It is a solvent-based lacquer, meaning that like a paint it is applied and then allowed to dry on the surface. When the solvent evaporates it leaves behind a layer of nitrocellulose resin, which is a kind of primitive plastic invented in the mid-1800s. It was originally invented in the form of gun cotton, a highly explosive type of fabric used by the rocket and munitions industries. It was later used to produce early Celluloid camera film, but they eventually stopped using it because too many rolls of film were spontaneously catching fire. Finally, in 1923 the automobile industry began using nitrocellulose lacquers to paint cars, which paved the way for the expansion of the nitrocellulose lacquer industry and the adoption of nitrocellulose lacquer by the musical instrument industry.
Nitrocellulose lacquers tend to be fairly flexible, so they do not usually have problems with chipping and cracking; however, they are susceptible to UV damage. If the horn is exposed to a lot of sunlight then the finish can become quite brittle, and chipping or cracking can occur. Generally these finishes are flexible enough that the horn can have dents removed without too much damage to the finish, although due to the primitive nature of the plastic resin the bond between the nitrocellulose and the metal is not always consistent and durable, so the lacquer can detach and flake once dent work has been carried out.
In addition to its flexibility, nitrocellulose lacquer is also pliant in other ways; for example, it is able to expand and contract with the brass during sudden temperature changes, such as when the horn is cleaned. This flexibility comes at a price, however, as nitrocellulose finishes tend to be somewhat softer than the other types of finish available. This means that they are more easily scratched and scuffed, so the mirror finish of a new horn may not last as long as with other finishes. Also, the ability of nitrocellulose to expand and contract is of no help when the horn is in need of solder repairs. When a connection is resoldered it is heated until the solder becomes liquid, and the connection is then allowed to cool and solidify, binding the two parts together in much the same way as the glue from a hot glue gun. Unfortunately, due to the unstable nature of nitrocellulose it usually burns at a lower temperature than the temperature at which the solder becomes liquid. This means that it can be virtually impossible to have a horn repaired without unsightly blackened marks.
The final aspect of nitrocellulose worth considering is how it behaves as it ages. In addition to becoming increasingly brittle with age, as well as some discoloring (yellowing), nitrocellulose lacquers also tend to decompose in a manner that leads to tiny holes and pits appearing over much of the instrument. The organic nature of the decomposition leads to the accelerated creation of tiny surface pits in the brass, which can leave the horn with an uneven satin finish.
Note: In addition to being used virtually universally in the first half of the 1900s, this type of lacquer was used by Bach and F. E. Olds right up into the 1970s. A few companies may still be using it today.
“Baked epoxy” is a term that is applied to finishes that have been either sprayed or painted on and then baked in an oven to cause the finish to harden and fuse with the brass. These tend to be the best finishes that are applied to older horns and they are still widely used today. Some baked epoxy lacquers will not fuse properly with the brass or over the years their adhesion to the brass will become weakened. This can cause them to flake off in large chunks.
The advantage to baked epoxies is that they are often thinner than either traditional clear coats or nitrocellulose lacquers. This means that they don’t affect the sound quality of the horn to the same degree as other lacquers do. Baked epoxies are also generally much harder than other finishes, which means that they are more scratch resistant. These finishes are also very stable, so they are not as affected by age or exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
Since baked epoxies are so stable and also because they have been pre-baked to cure the finish, they do not tend to burn or discolor when they need to have a broken connection resoldered. However, the stability and hardness of baked epoxies also means that they don’t expand and contract with temperature change as rapidly as the brass that the instrument is constructed from is able to do. On modern horns baked epoxy finishes are applied in an extremely thin coat in an effort to reduce any sound distortion caused by the finish. This combination of rigid stability and a very thin coat can sometimes cause problems. On some of these horns washing the horn in hot water can cause large sections of the finish to become detached from the brass and flake off, since the brass expands more rapidly in the heat than the epoxy finish.
Note: This finish was used by Conn in the later years of the Elkhart era.
Powder Coating
Powder coats are a relatively recent innovation in the brass instrument world. Powder coat is a finish that is applied in powder form to the instrument and then baked to liquefy the powder. The result is an even, consistent finish that is essentially one large, single piece. Powder coating combines the flexibility of nitrocellulose with the stability of the baked epoxy finish.
One other major advantage to the powder coat finish is that it results in a much more even coat to the entire instrument (including the nooks and crannies) than is possible with any of the more traditional finishes. This finish also results in a very thin coat with excellent adhesion properties. This finish is more durable than other finishes, but once it is scratched or chipped then the underlying brass will begin to be affected in the same was as with other finishes.
Note: This type of finish is what is applied to Yamaha instruments today.
Clear-Coat Paint
“Clear-coat” is a term that can be applied to many different types of clear protective finishes. They can be sprayed, dipped, or applied by hand. What they all have in common is that the finish is applied to the instrument and then allowed to dry into a plastic (polymer) coating. Many of these have been applied to horns over the years with varying degrees of success. Often these finishes will have been applied unevenly with sections of the horn lacking any protective finish and other sections having a very thick coating applied. To prevent a lack of protection these finishes are often applied in a very thick coat which can deaden the sound of the instrument and affect the tone quality.
Depending on the type of clear-coat used these finishes may have a tendency to chip, flake off, or burn at extremely low temperatures. Many clear-coats are also easily damaged by ultraviolet radiation. If the horn is exposed to sunlight for too long then the finish can turn yellow, crack, become very brittle, or even begin to flake off. Once a section of clear-coat has been compromised, environmental factors can begin to affect the surface of the brass itself underneath the clear-coat in the ways discussed in the section on damaged lacquer below.
Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Nitrocellulose was up until recently the most common type of finish applied to brass instruments. It is a solvent-based lacquer, meaning that like a paint it is applied and then allowed to dry on the surface. When the solvent evaporates it leaves behind a layer of nitrocellulose resin, which is a kind of primitive plastic invented in the mid-1800s. It was originally invented in the form of gun cotton, a highly explosive type of fabric used by the rocket and munitions industries. It was later used to produce early Celluloid camera film, but they eventually stopped using it because too many rolls of film were spontaneously catching fire. Finally, in 1923 the automobile industry began using nitrocellulose lacquers to paint cars, which paved the way for the expansion of the nitrocellulose lacquer industry and the adoption of nitrocellulose lacquer by the musical instrument industry.
Nitrocellulose lacquers tend to be fairly flexible, so they do not usually have problems with chipping and cracking; however, they are susceptible to UV damage. If the horn is exposed to a lot of sunlight then the finish can become quite brittle, and chipping or cracking can occur. Generally these finishes are flexible enough that the horn can have dents removed without too much damage to the finish, although due to the primitive nature of the plastic resin the bond between the nitrocellulose and the metal is not always consistent and durable, so the lacquer can detach and flake once dent work has been carried out.
In addition to its flexibility, nitrocellulose lacquer is also pliant in other ways; for example, it is able to expand and contract with the brass during sudden temperature changes, such as when the horn is cleaned. This flexibility comes at a price, however, as nitrocellulose finishes tend to be somewhat softer than the other types of finish available. This means that they are more easily scratched and scuffed, so the mirror finish of a new horn may not last as long as with other finishes. Also, the ability of nitrocellulose to expand and contract is of no help when the horn is in need of solder repairs. When a connection is resoldered it is heated until the solder becomes liquid, and the connection is then allowed to cool and solidify, binding the two parts together in much the same way as the glue from a hot glue gun. Unfortunately, due to the unstable nature of nitrocellulose it usually burns at a lower temperature than the temperature at which the solder becomes liquid. This means that it can be virtually impossible to have a horn repaired without unsightly blackened marks.
The final aspect of nitrocellulose worth considering is how it behaves as it ages. In addition to becoming increasingly brittle with age, as well as some discoloring (yellowing), nitrocellulose lacquers also tend to decompose in a manner that leads to tiny holes and pits appearing over much of the instrument. The organic nature of the decomposition leads to the accelerated creation of tiny surface pits in the brass, which can leave the horn with an uneven satin finish.
Note: In addition to being used virtually universally in the first half of the 1900s, this type of lacquer was used by Bach and F. E. Olds right up into the 1970s. A few companies may still be using it today.